LIBRARY 

OF   THE 

U  N  1  VER.SITY 

or    ILLINOIS 


llLiNOIS  (;!S10Ry  SURVEY 
LIS.VARY 


^ 


HISTORICAL  AND  BIOGIIAPHICAL  liECORl) 


OK 


DOUGLAS  COUNTY 


ILLINOIS 


COMIMLKI)    V,\ 


JOt-IlSI     GF^FC^F^A^IM 


U.  S.   A. 


ll'NE,   1 11(10 


FROM    PRESS   OF    WILSON,    HUMPHREYS   &   CO. 
LOGANSPORT,    IND. 


PRKFACB. 


After  several  montlis  of  tediouf^  work,  I  present  this  volume  of  Doii.i^las 
County  Biography  and  History  to  its  subscribers.     Like  all  local  works  of  its 

^-  nature  there  will  be  no  doubt  criticisms,  as  it  is  impossible  to  please  every- 
body. I  have  endeavored  to  do  the  work  conscientiously.  The  biographies 
were  all  carefully  written  and  submitted  in  type  to  each  individual  and  the 

^  errors  consequently   reduced   to  the  minimum.     Hoping   tin;  book  will  fully 

p 

^come  up  to  your  expectations, 
rt  I  am  yours  respectfully, 


o> 


JNO.  GRESHAM, 

June,  1900.  Logansport,  Indiana. 


5047- 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT 


DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


CHAPTKR    I 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT  OE  THE  COUNTY. 


((RIGIXAL  INHABITANTS. 

Archaeologists  tell  us  that  the  white  race  is 
the  third,  and  perhaps  the  fourth,  race  that  has 
possessed  this  laud.  The  evidences  of  the  pres- 
ence of  the  earlier  races  are  not  abundant  in  all 
parts  of  the  country,  hut  sutiicient  is  learned  of 
their  habits.  nunil)ers  and  power  to  lead  to  the 
conclusion  that  they  dominated  the  region 
within  which  the  territory  of  Douglas  county 
lies.  Robinson  Crusoe's  unexpected  discovery 
of  a  human  footprint  upi>n  the  sands  of  his 
deserted  island  was  hardly  more  startling  than 
have  been  the  discoveries  of  antiquarians  in 
luu-ojic  within  the  past  twenty-five  years. 
Scientific  followers  of  Usher  and  Petarius  had 
placed  the  various  migrations  of  men,  the  con- 
fusion of  tongues,  the  peoi)ling  of  continents — 
the  whole  evolution  of  human  society — within 
the  narrow  compass  of  a  little  more  than  forty 
centuries,  when  the  discovery  of  the  geologist 
and  ethnologist  developed  the  trace  of  htuuan 
e.xistence  dating  back  to  a  possible  period  of 
30,000  years.  Nor  are  confirmatory  evidences 
wanting  to  show  that  the  "ekler  man"  had 
found  a  place  in  the  New  World.     The  gold- 


drift  of  California  has  supplied  abundant  tes- 

timonv  to  the  high  anti(|uity  of  man.  and 
notably  the  "Pliocene  skull,"  the  ])opular  con- 
ception of  which  is  derived  niore  wi<lel\-.  ])er- 
haps,  from  a  characteristic  \)nvn\  by  liret  llarte 
than  from  scientific  publications.  E.xplorations 
in  Illinois,  Missouri  and  South  Carolina  have 
yielded  similar  testimony,  and  while  it  should  be 
stated  that  in  many  cases  these  evidences  rest 
upon  the  testimony  of  single  observers,  and 
that  there  is  not  that  recurrence  of  "finds" 
which  would  render  "assurance  doubly  sure," 
yet  there  seems  no  room  to  reasonably  doubt 
the  presence  here  of  that  "oldest  inhabitant." 

MOUND-RUILn!-:U.S. 

Descending  to  a  later  time,  and  one  prob- 
ably falling  within  the  historic  period,  the  more 
tangible  traces  of  an  early  race  of  men  are 
foimd.  Of  this  race,  named  from  the  cliai-acter 
of  their  remains,  the  iMoimd-P.uilder.s,  the 
evidences  are  found  vastly  multiplied,  and  of 
such  a  character  as  to  aft'ord  lueans  of  a  reason- 
able Ci.>n)ecture  as  to  their  mode  of  life,  their 
advancement  in  civilization,  and  final  destinv- 


lUOCRArmCAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


Tliese  evidences,  tliousli  first  accepted  with 
,yrpat  distrust,  have  l)een  so  amplified  and  cun- 
firnied  1)V  nmre  recent  researclies  as  to  leave  no 
r(Hiiii  tor  intelligent  dissent  to  the  former  exis- 
tence of  this  race.  The  remains  upon  which 
this  conclusion  is  based,  "consi.sts,"  says  Mr. 
Foster  in  his  "  I're-historic  Races  of  the  Lhiited 
States,"  "of  tiunuli,  symmetrically  raised  and 
often  inclo.sed  in  matheiuatical  figures,  .sucli  as 
the  square,  the  octagon  and  circle,  with  long 
lines  of  circumvallation  :  nf  ]iits  in  the  solid 
rock,  and  rubbish  heaps  formed  in  the  pros- 
ecution of  their  mining  operations,  and  of  a 
variety  of  utensils,  wrought  in  stone,  copper, 
or  moulded  in  clay."  To  the  uninstructed  mind 
the  mounds,  doubtles.s,  seem  a  very  sligiit  foun- 
dation upon  which  to  rear  the  fabric  of  a 
national  existence,  and  yet  to  the  archaeol- 
ogist thev  furnish  "proof  as  strong  as  Holy 
Writ:"  in  them  they  find  as  distinctive  charac- 
teri.stics  as  mark  the  pre-historic  remains  of 
the  Pelasgi,  the  wall-builders  of  Europe,  a  not 
dissimilar  race  in  many  respects,  and  one  which 
long  ago  found  a  place  in  the  realities  of  his- 
tory; and  while  they  differ  in  external  form, 
and  are  scattered  over  a  wide  scope  of  country 
— characteristics  in  marked  contrast  with  those 
of  the  aboriginal  race  found  here  in  possession 
of  the  county;  yet  the  scientist  finds  in  each 
mound  the  ne\er-failing  marks  of  a  race 
peculiarity. 

The  wiflest  divergence  from  the  typical 
mound  is  found  in  Wisconsin.  Here,  instead 
of  the  circular  or  pyramidal  structure,  are 
found  forms,  for  the  most  part,  consisting  of 
rude,  gigantic  imitations  of  various  animals 
of  the  region,  such  as  the  buffalo,  bear,  fox, 
wolf,  etc. ;  of  the  eagle  and  night-hawk,  the 
lizard  and   turtle,   and   in   soiue  instances  the 


unmistakable  form  of  man.  These,  though 
not  raised  high  abo\'e  the  surface,  and  even  in 
some  cases  represented  intaglio,  attain  the 
largest  dimensions ;  one,  representing  a  serpent, 
extending  sex'en  hundred  feet,  and  another, 
representing  a  turtle,  had  a  Ijody  fifty-six  and 
a  tail  two  hundred  an<l  fifty  feet  long.  The 
significance  of  these  peculiar  forms  has  not 
been  determined,  1)Ut  unmistakable  evidences 
have  been  discovered  which  mark  them  as  the 
wor  kof  the  same  race  whose  structures  are 
found  elsewdiere  so  numerous  throughout  the 
Mississippi  Valley. 

Typical  Structures  are  sometimes  classified 
with  reference  to  their  purpose,  as  Inclosures 
—  I,  for  defense:  2,  sacred:  3,  miscellaneous. 
Mounds — I,  of  sacrifice;  2,  for  temple  sites: 
3,  of  sepulture;  4.  of  observation.  Of  the  first 
class,  the  inclosures  for  defense  seem  to  have 
been  constructed  simply  for  protection  against 
hostile  attack.  The  locations  chosen  are  those 
best  adapted  naturally  to  repel  a  military  ap- 
proach. The  inclosure  is  gained  usually  by 
a  steep  and  narrow  way,  requiring  the  assail- 
ant to  place  himself  at  immense  disadvantage, 
while  the  garrison,  pro\ided  with  parapets 
often  constructed  of  rubble  stone,  could  fight 
under  cover,  and  perhaps  found  in  these  stones 
his  store  of  animuniti<  m.  The  sacred  inclosure 
included  within  its  lines  the  mounds  of  sac- 
rifice, temple  sites,  and  sepulture,  as  all  of  these 
uses  were  sacred  to  the  Mound- Builders,  and 
yet  in  the  "American  Bottom"  where  the 
mound  system  reached  its  highest  development, 
the  mounds  of  these  classes  is  not  inclosed.  The 
mounds  of  sacrifice,  or  altars,  as  they  are 
variously  termed,  are  generally  characterized 
by  the  fact,  "that  they  occur  only  within  the 
vicinity  of  the  inclosures  or  sacred  places;  that 


BIOCKAI'lllCAT.  AND    1 1 ISTORICAI.. 


t1iey    are    stratified ;    and    that    they    contain  well  serve  as  a  type.    When  in  all  its  intcg'rity. 

symmetrical  altars  of  burned  clay  or  stone,  on  this  mound  formed  a  hug'c  paralelonram,  with 

which  were  de])iisited   various  remains,   \\hich  sides  at  the  base,  respectixx'ly  fi\e  hundred  ;uid 

in  all  cases  lia\e  been  more  or  less  subjected  se\en    hundred    feet    in    lenL;th,    tnwcriui^'    the 

li>   the   actiiiu    of    lire."      (  S(|nicr    and    l)a\is'  hcii;lil  i  if  ninely  feet.      ( )ii  the  southwest  fhere 

Ancient    Monuments.)       In    relation    to    this  w , -is  a  terr.nce,  <  mc  hundred  and  si.xty  by  three 

1,'iler  characteristic,  it  should  be  said  that  it  is  hundred    feel,  wliii'h  was  reached  by  a  i;radc(l 

mil  at  all  pl.aiii  that  the  use  of  hre  was  intended  way,  and  the  summit  was  truncated,  .alTi  ir<liiii^- 

I'or  ci"ematiiiu.     .\   thin  coatint;'  of  moist  clay  a  platl'nrm  twn  hundred  by  hmr  hundred   feet, 

was  ap|)lied  to  the  body,  nude  or  wrapped  in  This    structure,     u])iin     which     was    pnibably 

cloth,  and  npuu  this  a  ilre  was  maintained  for  re;n"C(l  ;i  spacious  tem]ile,  pcrlia]is  the  principal 

a  longer  or  shorter  period,  but  in  most  cases  nne  in  the  emi)ire,  covered  ;ui  are.a  of  .abnut  six 

the  heat  w;is  ui it  sufticieut  tn  dcstrii)'  the  cloth,  acres,    while    in    close    ])roxinn'ty    were    four 

sometimes  found  in  a  £;'ood  state  of  ])reserva-  clc\'ated  platforms  varyins,^  from  two  Innidred 

tion.      This   e\idently   did    not    result    from   a  and    fifty   to   llu-ee   hundre<l    feet    in    diameter, 

lack    of  knowledi^e,    as    cremation    and    urn  The  i^iXTit  mound  ;it  St.  Louis  reached  ;i  height 

burial  was  also  ])racticed.  of    tliirtyli\'e    feet,    .and    that    at    Marietta    to 

Temple   mounds   are    described    by    S(pn'ei'  .about  the  s.ame  heit^ht. 
and    Davis    as    "distinguished    bv    their    s^reat  "Sepulchral     mounds,"    says     Mr.     h'oster 

rei^ularitv  of   form   and    L^ener.al   lars;'e  dinien-  "consists  often  of  ;i  simple  knoll,  or  .l;i'ou])  of 

sions.     Tliev  consist  chiellv  of  p\'ramidal  struc-  knolls,  of  no  considerable  heit^ht,  without  .any 

tures.  truncated,  rmd  t;enerally  b.axinsj;-  graded  delinite  arrangement.     I'lxamples  of  this  chru-- 

.avenues  to  their  tops.     In  some  instances  they  acter  maybe  seen  at  Dubuque,  Merom,  t'hicago 

are  terraced,  or  have  successive  stages.     But  and    T,a    Porte,    which,    on    exploration,    ha\'e 

whatever    their    form,    whether    round,    o\al,  yielded  skulls  differing  widely  irom  the  Indian 

octangular,  square  or  oblong,  they  h,a\e  invari-  type.      *      *         The  corpse  was  alm<ist  iuvari- 

abl\-   llat  or  le\el   to]is,"  ;md   upon  these  were  .ably   pl.aceil    near   the   original    surlace   of   the 

proli,ibl\'  constructed  their  lempk-s.  but   which,  soil,  t-ii\ x'loijed  in  b.ark  or  coarse  matting,  ;uid, 

constructed   of  ])erish;ible   m.iteiaals.   h;i\c   left  in  a  few  inst.aiices,  fi'.agments  ol  cloth  Iia\e  been 

no    trace    of    their    existence.       This    class    of  obser\  ed  in  this  eoimeclion.     .Sometimes  a  \anlt 

nioinids  is  not    fonnd  alon  the  kage  region,  or  of   limber   w;is  built   o\er   it,   and    in   iilhers   it 

ih.al    line   which    seems    to    mark    the    farthest  was  enclosed  in  long  and  bi'oad  ll.ags  ol  stone, 

adxance  of  this  ])eo])le.     The  i)rinci])al   struc-  Sometimes  it  was  ])laced  in  a  sitting  position, 

tures  of  this  class  are  found  at  Cahokia,  Illinois;  again    it    w.as   extended,   and   still    ag.ain   coni- 

near    Florence    and     I'laiborn,     Kentucky;    at  ])resscd    within    contracted    limits.       Trinkets 

Seltzertown,  Mississippi:  at  Marietta,  Newark  were  often  strung  about  the  neck,  and  w^ater 

and  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  and  St.  Louis,  IMissouri.  jugs,  drinking  cups  and  vases,  which  i)robably 

The  momid   at   C'ahoki.a,   "the  mou.arch   of  all  contained    food,    were    jilaced    near    the    head, 

similar  structures  in  the   laiited  Sl.ates."  may  Over  the  corpse,  thus  arniyed,  .a  circular  mound 


lO 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


was  often  raised,  l)ut  sometimes  nothing  more 
tlian  a  liillock."  Otlier  mounds  have  heen 
found  tliat  favored  the  theory  tliat  many  of 
tliese  structures  were  used  for  miscellaneous 
burial.  Mounds  of  observation  is  rather  a 
fanciful  classification  intended  to  mark  mounds 
found  on  elevated  points  of  land.  The  authors 
of  this  classification  think  that  these  may  have 
been  used  as  platforms  on  which  to  build  sig- 
nal fires,  and  such  are  their  elevation  and  out- 
look that  such  signals  could  have  lieen  seen  at  a 
great  distance.  This  theory  of  special  purpose, 
however,  has  not  been  accepted  as  supported 
by  any  speciol  evidence.  They  may  have  been 
so  used,  or  simply  as  an  eligible  site  for  resi- 
rence. 

There  is,  in  addition  to  these  mounds,  a 
large  number  of  which  are  not  embraced  in 
this  classification,  which,  following  Mr.  F.  W. 
Putnam,  whom  Mr.  Foster  quotes  at  length, 
may  be  called  "habitation  mounds."  A  large 
number  of  these  are  described  as  located  at 
Merom,  Indiana,  and  a  group  of  fifty-nine 
mounds  at  Hutsonville,  Illinois,  a  few  miles 
above  the  former  place  and  across  the  Wabash 
river.  These  mounds  were  carefully  examined, 
to  ascertain  if  they  were  places  of  burial,  with- 
out discovering  a  single  bone  or  implement  of 
any  kind,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  excavations 
showed  that  the  mounds  had  been  made  of 
various  materials  at  hand,  and  in  one  case  ashes 
were  found,  which  had  ])robably  been  scraped 
u])  with  other  material  and  thrown  upon  the 
heap.  In  the  ancient  fort  at  Merom,  in 
depressions  found  within  the  earth  works,  were 
found  striking  evidences  of  food  having  been 
cooked  and  eaten  there,  and  the  conclusion 
drawn  by  Mr.  Putnam  is  that  the.se  pits  were 
the  houses  of  the  inhabitants  or  defenders  of 


the  fort,  who  were  probably  further  protected 
fniin  the  elements  and  the  missiles  of  assailants 
liy  a  roof  of  logs  and  Ijark,  or  boughs.  Another 
writer,  (Hon.  William  McAdams,  Jr.,  Otter- 
ville,  Illinois),  in  a  paper  read  before  the 
American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science,  at  their  Boston  meeting,  August,  i83o, 
says :  "There  is  in  this  region  a  peculiar  class 
of  mounds,  that  was  for  a  long  time  a  puzzle  to 
me.  They  are  usually  found  in  groups  of  from 
two  or  three  to  twenty  or  thirty,  and  even  more, 
and  are  generally  on  some  pleasant  knoll  or 
rising  ground  in  the  vicinity  of  a  spring  or 
water-course,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  our 
prairies  or  level  areas  of  land.  The  mounds  are 
from  one  to  three,  and  in  a  few  instances  even 
four  feet  in  height,  and  from  twenty  to  fifty 
feet  in  diameter.  One  mound  of  the  group  is 
always  larger  than  the  rest,  and  always  occu- 
pies a  cnmmanding  position.  Sometimes  the 
group  is  arranged  in  a  circle ;  other  groups  have 
no  apparent  design  in  arrangement.  Numbers 
of  these  mounds  can  be  seen  in  the  cultivated 
fields.  Although  I  have  made  excavations  in 
them,  and  dug  trenches  entirely  through  them, 
I  have  found  nothing  but  ashes,  charcoal, 
decayed  portions  of  bones  of  fishes  and  animals 
partially  liurned,  shells  from  adjacent  streams, 
flint  chippings,  and  in  one  or  two  instances  a 
flint  implement  of  a  rude  character. 

"After  examining  many  of  these  structures, 
I  am  induced  to  believe  that  they  are  possibly 
the  remains  of  ancient  dwellings,  made  by  plac- 
ing in  an  upright  position  the  trunks  of  young 
trees  in  a  circle,  or  in  parallel  rows,  the  tops  of 
the  poles  inclining  inward  and  fastened  together, 
the  w  hole  being  covered  with  earth  and  sod  to 
form  a  roof,  or  in  the  same  manner  as  many 
Indian  tribes  make  their  mud  lodges;  as,  for 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


11 


instance,  the  Mandans  and  tlie  Omahas.  Such 
a  structure,  after  lieing  repaired  from  time  to 
time  Iivflie  adih'tion  of  more  cartli  on  tnp.wc^uld 
finally,  by  tiie  decay  of  the  poles,  fall  inward, 
and  the  ruins  would  form  a  slight  mound. 
Consant  and  Putnam  describe  such  mounds 
in  Missouri  and  Tennessee,  some  of  the  largest 
of  these  ancient  towns  being  provided  with 
streets  and  highways.  They  are  also  found  in 
southern  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Ohio.  Putnam 
has  described  an  inclosed  town  in  Tennessee, 
in  which  were  many  low  mounds,  or  rather, 
as  he  calls  them,  earth  circles,  that  he  has 
])retty  conclusively  shown  to  be  sites  of  the 
lodges  or  houses  of  the  people." 

These  are  the  main  evidences  brought  for- 
ward to  show  that  the  Inchan  was  the  author 
of  the  mound  system,  and  probably  describe  the 
character  of  the  mounds  found  in  Douglas 
county.  On  the  farm  of  Wesley  Blaase,  in 
liourbon  township,  some  mounds  have  been 
found,  from  one  of  which  human  remains  were 
taken.  Other  elevations,  evidently  formed  by 
human  hands,  are  found  elsewhere  in  the 
county,  but  no  proper  investigation  has  been 
made  of  them  to  determine  their  relation  to  this 
race,  if  indeed  they  are  true  mounds.  There  is 
no  presumption  against  the  facts ;  but  the  data 
given  are  so  insufficient  as  to  leave  no  ground 
to  base  an  intelligent  o]iiniiin.  This  region 
was  undoubtedly  within  the  range  of  their 
influence,  and  doubtless  these  mysterious 
beings  roamed  over  the  place  now  i)ossessed 
by  successive  races  of  red  and  white  meri. 

TIIK  TNDI.\N. 

The  obvious  in(|uiry  suggested  by  these 
conclusions  is.  Who  succeeded  this  extinct 
race?    To  this  question  science  offers  no  com- 


plete answer.  Two  hypotheses  are  entertained 
as  to  the  origin  of  the  Mound-Builders  here. 
The  one  supposes  them  to  be  of  autothionic 
<nigin,  and  that  semi-civilization  originating 
here  flowed  southward,  and  culminated  in  the 
wonderful  develo])ments  of  the  Toltecs,  of 
Mexico;  the  other  su])poses  them  to  have  orig- 
inated in  the  South  American  continent  or  in 
Central  America,  and  to  have  emigrated  north- 
ward from  natural  causes,  and  later  to  have 
returned  to  Mexico,  driven  from  their  northern 
eni])ire  liy  an  irresistible  foe,  or  by  a  powerful 
political  eruption  among  themselves.  Upon 
anv  theory,  the  line  of  their  most  northward 
advance  is  pretty  clearly  defined,  and  writers 
upon  this  subject  generally  agree  that  the  line 
of  defenses,  "extending  from  the  sources  of  the 
Allegheny  and  Susquehanna  in  New  York 
diagonally  across  the  country,  through  central 
and  northern  Ohio,  to  the  Wabash,"  accurately 
indicates  the  region  from  whence  attacks  were 
made  and  expected,  and  marks  the  farthest 
extent  of  the  Mound-Builders'  em])ire.  But 
what  was  the  character  of  the  foe,  what  his 
action  on  the  retreat  of  the  Mound-Builders, 
and  what  his  final  destiny,  is  an  unwritten  page 
of  science,  for  which  there  exists  little  data. 
It  is  a  later  sugestion  that  the  North  American 
Indian  may  be  a  degenerate  ^but  legitimate 
descendant  of  the  dominant  race,  or  even  the 
.Mound-[5uildersthem.selves,but  there  is  abroad 
cliasm  to  be  bridged  l)efore  these  early  races 
can  be  linked  with  the  al)original  tribes.  With- 
ont  making  any  such  attempt,  however,  the 
Indian  naturally  succeeds  this  people  in 
regular  historical  order,  and,  passing  over  the 
vexed  ijuestion  of  his  origin,  it  is  sutTicient 
that  the  whites  everywhere  found  him  in  full 
possession  of  the  country. 


12 


BIOGRArillCAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


TliL'  natural  lial)ilat  of  the  Indian  is  in  the 
tiniher,  and  Douj^las  county  possessing  Init 
little,  there  are  few  or  no  local  traditions  con- 
cerning thcni.  Tiie  early  Im-cucIi  explorers 
found  the  tril)es  of  the  lllini  nation  along  the 
banks  of  the  Illinois  river,  where,  imder  La 
Salle's  influence,  they  were  re-enforced  by  other 
tribes  or  remnants  of  eastern  savages.  Sub- 
secpienlly  the  Iroquois  devastated  the  upper 
waters  of  the  Illinois,  and  the  land  was  occu- 
pied by  other  tribes,  among  which  were  the 
Kickapoos.  The  later  treaties  of  the  general 
goverunicnt  brought  a  number  of  other  tribes 
to  this  vicinity,  which  remained  until  the  gen- 
eral removal  from  the  state  about  1832.  The 
grand  prairie,  however,  served  only  as  a  great 
hunting  ground  to  the  various  tribes  located  in 
the  state,  and  seldom  afforded  a  site  for  a  vil- 
lage, save  in  the  heavily  timbered  margin  at 
some  points.  In  Douglas  county  there  were  no 
such  sites,  and  while  there  are  evidences  of 
their  having  been  here,  it  was  proliably  only 
for  the  purpose  of  hunting.  There  is  a  tra- 
dition that  the  government  surveyors  were 
attacked  by  a  roving  band  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  county,  .and  while  it  is  quite  jjossible  there 
is  no  definite  information  in  regard  to  it.  But 
few  of  the  early  settlers  saw  any  here,  as  they 
had  generally  left  l)efore  the  date  of  the  earliest 
arrivals.  John  Hammet,  who  came  to  Cam- 
argo  townsiiip  in  1S30,  was  visited  by  a  large 
number  of  Indians  during  his  first  winter  here. 
Harrison  Gill  came  to  Camargo  in  the  same 
year,  and  it  is  related  that  on  one  occasion  he 
visited  a  camp  of  the  natives  at  Hugo,  where 
his  uncle  jocosely  informed  the  chief  that  the 
younger  man  was  in  quest  of  a  wife.  The 
announcement  created  some  commotion  among 
the  fair  sex,  and  there  was  "gathering  in  hot 


haste."  There  was  no  objection  to  color,  pro- 
vided he  coukl  hunt,  and  so  pressing  was  the 
interest  manifested  by  these  untutored  maidens, 
that  Gill  was  forced  to  escape  under  the  plea 
that  he  was  a  poor  hunter.  During  all  the 
intercourse  of  the  savages  with  early  settlers, 
the  Indian  showed  himself  a  good  citizen,  and 
did  not  exhibit  his  usual  propensity  to  steal  or 
molest  the  whites  in  any  way. 

THE    PIONEERS. 

The  open  i)rairie  country  of  Douglas 
county  greatly  retarded  the  settlement  of  this 
section  of  Coles  county.  A  few  came  here 
previous  to  1850,  but  the  great  bulk  of  the  pub- 
lic lands  was  occupied  by  actual  owners  subse- 
quent to  that  date.  The  first  settlement  in 
Coles  county  as  originally  formed  was  about 
1824,  and  subsequent  additions  to  the  white 
population  found  homes  at  widely  separated 
points,  from  the  Cumberland  road  on  the  south, 
to  Camargo  on  the  north.  The  original  pioneer 
of  Douglas  county  was  John  Richman,  who,  in 
1829,  settled  in  Camargo  township.  He  was 
a  native  of  Greenbrier  county.  West  Virginia, 
and  came  with  his  father  w  hen  a  lad  of  sixteen 
years  to  Vermilion  county,  Illinois.  The 
journey  was  made  over  the  teilious  roads  of 
the  frontier  in  wagons  accompanied  by  a  drove 
of  sheep,  horses  and  cattle.  Here  the  family 
lived  on  and  worked  a  rented  farm  for  two  or 
three  years.  In  the  meanwhile  the  father,  ac- 
companied by  a  friend,  made  a  visit  to  the  Em- 
barrass timber  in  quest  of  honey.  Here  in 
eight  or  ten  days  they  secured  several  barrels 
of  honey,  and  in  the  course  of  their  rambles 
became  so  enamored  with  the  country  that  Mr. 
Richman  determined  to  remove  to  this  region. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  13 


0 


In  May  of  the  following  year,  1829,  the  family  Harrison     Gill,    who    may    he    noted    as 

removed  and  took  np  their  residence  a  mile  and  the  first  purchaser  of  land  in  Douglas  county, 

a  half  from  the  present  site  of  Camargo  village  was  a  native  of  Kcnlucky,  and  belonged  to  the 

in   the   timber   skirting   the   Embarrass   river,  family  mited  in  that  state.     Other  branches  of 

.At  this  time  there  was  not  another  white  fam-  the    family    came    to    Palestine    in    Crawford 

ily  within  the  present  limits  of  Douglasscounty.  county  about   1812,  and  found  refuge  in  old 

and  none  in  Coles  north  of  Charleston.     For  Fort  La  Motte  for  some  time.    At  the  paciiica- 

upward  of  a  year  the  Richmans  lived  in  this  lion  of  the  Indians,  the  (iills  settled   on  the 

solitude,  when  llicy  were  joined  by  Harrison  Sandy    Prairie,    Imt    James    Gill    a    few    years 

Gill,  and   perhaps  some  si.x  months   later  by  later  moved   further  north  and  settled  on  the 

Isaac  Moss,  who  settled  about  a  mile  east  of  Embarrass,  near  the  northern  lines  of  the  pres- 

the  present  village  of  Camargo.     The  Indians  ent  Cumberland  county.     On  reaching  the  age 

were  in  the  neighborhood  for  three  years  after  of    twenty-one,    Harrison    Gill    found    himself 

the    advent    of    these    pioneers,    their    village  possessed  of  a   few  hundred  (lollars,  and  upon 

occupying  the  present  site  of  Bridgeport.     The  the  advice  of  his  father  proceeded  to  Illinois  t 

savages    came    in    the    fall    for    hunting,    and  invest  his  capital  in  land.     Visiting  his  family 

stayed  through  the  winter,  and  in  the  spring  relatives   in   the   slate,   he    found   his   uncle   in 

went  north  to  their  corn-fields.     The  first  sum-  Cumberland  county  busy  in  shingling  his  In'st 

mer,  the  Richmans  lived  in  a  temporary  camp  permanent    cabin,    and   .it    once    engaged    to 

built  of  logs  split  in  twain,  wdiile  the  male  por-  assist  in  completing  the  job.     This  done  the 

tion    of    the    family   devoted    their   efforts   to  two  made  a  tour  northward  in  search  of  lands 

breaking  the  prairie,  and  securing  a  harvest,  but  for  investment.     The  first  jioint  above  Charles- 

they  soon  found  their  team  power  inadequate  ton  where  a  .settlement  had  been  made  was  at 

for  the  undertaking,  and  resorted  to  the  timber,  the  mouth  of  Brushy  Fork,  where  Maj.  Ash- 

The  work  of  clearing  and  putting  in  the  crop  more    had    begun    an    improvement.      He    was 

consumed  the  time  until  the  lOth  of  July,  when  pleased    with    the   appearance   of   the  country, 

ihev   had    the   satisfaction   of   .seeing    fourteen  and  selected  land  in  the  northwest  (|u;irter  of 

acres  planted  in  corn.     Their  next  care  was  to  section  35,  and  the  west  half  of  the  .southwest 

provide  a  permanent  shelter  from  the  rigors  of  ([uarter  of   the   s.anie   section,   in   townshij)    15 

the  winter.      Logs   were  procured   and   i)artly  north,  range    10  cast,  ;iud  .at  once  repaired  to 

hewed,  when  the  grim  terror  of  piiinecr  life. the  the   land    citlice   .at    I'alestine,    where   the   entry 

ague,  laid  seven  of  the  eleven  nu-mbers  of  tlie  was    pri.]KTly    recorded.       The    ]>.itents,    which 

family    ])rostrate.       I'or    sever.al    months    the  are  still  ret.aincd  .as  .a  souvenir  by  the  family, 

f.amily  were  obliged   to  give  uji   further  work  were  signed  by  Andrew  j.ackson,  as  I'rcsident, 

on  their  improvements,  .and  the  winter   found  on  the  Nth  of  .M.arcli,   iS^o.      Mr.  Gill  h,as  not 

them   still   occupying  the  original   cabin.      ( )n  been  a  citizen  of  the  county,  having  returned  to 

the   following  year  the   hewed  log  house   w.as  Kentucky  sot)n  after  his  jjurchase  of  the  land. 

fiui.shed  and  occupied,  and  still  remains  a  land-  John  liammet  was  scarcely  .second  to  (Jill 

mark  of  the  olden  time.  in  his  entry  of  land  in  this  comity;  he  visited 


14 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Illinois  in  1828,  and  entered  eight  hundred 
acres  of  land  north  of  the  present  site  of  Cam- 
ergo  village,  in  company  with  Gill.  Mr.  Ham- 
met  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  from  whence  he 
moved  to  Kentucky,  where  his  son,  James  R., 
was  born.  It  was  not  until  the  fall  of  1830 
that  he  moved  to  his  new  purchase.  The  house- 
hold goods  were  brought  from  Kentucky  by 
teams  of  horses  and  oxen — Mrs.  Hammet  and 
smaller  children  coming  in  a  carriage.  It  was 
November  before  the  family  reached  the  site 
of  their  new  home,  and  before  the  cabin  could 
be  erected  winter  was  at  hand.  The  family 
was  therefore  obliged  to  find  shelter  in  a  tent 
with  a  large  fire  before  the  opening  to  keep  off 
the  cold.  The  under  bed  ticks  had  been  filled 
with  blue  grass  seed  in  Kentucky,  and  upon 
these  the  feather  beds  were  placed  and  drawn 
near  the  fire.  This  winter  was  very  severe,  as 
was  the  following  one,  which  is  known  as  the 
season  of  the  great  snow,  and  many  of  the 
Indians  in  the  vicinity  made  frequent  visits  to 
this  new  addition  to  the  white  settlement.  At 
the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  Hammets,  there 
were  only  two  families  of  permanent  settlers 
in  the  territory  of  Douglas  county,  though 
some  squatters  had  taken  up  their  residence  in 
the  southern  part  and  who  removed  soon  after- 
ward. The  family  suffered  great  privations 
during  the  first  years.  No  provisions  had 
been  brought  from  Kentucky,  and  everything 
during  the  first  winter  was  only  to  be  procured 
at  a  point  on  the  Vermillion  river,  near  the 
present  site  of  Indianola.  Their  milling  was 
afterward  done  at  a  still  greater  distance,  at 
Eugene,  Indiana,  some  forty  miles  away.  John 
Hammet  died  in  the  winter  of  1834,  leaving  the 
care  of  the  farm  and  family  to  his  widow,  who 
discharged  her  responsibilities  in  a  way  to  show 


how  great  a  debt  the  country  owes  to  its  pioneer 
women. 

Eli  Sargent  was  a  settler  in  Douglas  county 
in  the  same  year.  He  was  a  native  of  Mary- 
land, but  had  subsequently  emigrated  to  Ohio 
where  his  children  were  born.  An.xious  to 
avail  himself  of  the  cheap  lands  in  Illinois,  he 
made  a  journey  here,  accompanied  only  by  his 
son,  Snowden.  They  left  home  on  the  i8th  of 
March,  and  proceeded  down  the  Ohio  river  to 
Evansville,  Indiana,  on  a  flat-boat.  Here  they 
continued  their  journey  overland,  crossing  the 
Wabash  at  Vincennes  and  directing  their 
course  to  Paris.  Mr.  Sargent's  original  inten- 
tion was  to  seek  a  location  in  Buffalo  Heart 
Grove  in  Sangamon  county,  a  point  he  had 
greatly  admired  when  he  passed  through 
it,  returning  from  a  trip  to  Missouri  two  years 
before.  Coming  through  Walnut  Prairie,  some 
fifteen  miles  below  Marshall,  Clark  county, 
Illinois,  he  learned  of  Walnut  Point,  on  the 
Embarrass  river,  where  Ashmore  had  made  a 
settlement.  The  favorable  reports  of  this  loca- 
tion determined  him  to  visit  it,  and  so  pleased 
was  he  upon  examination,  that  he  entered  four 
hundred  acres  here  when  he  returned  to  Pales- 
tine. The  household  goods  were  promptly 
brought  forward  in  wagons,  and  arrived  at  the 
new  location  in  April,  1830,  Mrs.  Sargent 
arriving  soon  afterward.  A  wigwam  in  the 
Indian  fashion  was  the  first  erected,  and  later 
the  usual  cabins  which  served  the  family  as 
homes  for  several  years.  Maj.  Ashmore  was 
the  only  settler  in  this  township  (Sargent). 
In  1834  Mr.  Sargent  died,  leaving  his  son, 
Snowden  Sargent,  to  care  for  his  family. 

William  Brian,  a  native  of  Ohio,  came  to 
Douglas  county  in  1834,  and  entered  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  section   18, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


IS 


township  i6  nortli,  range  7  east.  He  arrived 
at  this  point  in  June  and  erected  a  cabin,  return- 
ing then  to  bring  liis  family,  consisting  of  his 
wife  and  four  children.  He  returned  to  Illi- 
nois in  the  following  September,  and  cultivated 
his  farm  for  about  a  year,  when  he  removed  to 
the  farm  which  is  known  as  the  old  homestead 
For  several  years  he  was  the  only  resident  of 
what  is  now  Tuscola  township.  Jacob  Taylor 
was  probably  the  first  settler  in  Garrett  town- 
ship. Soon  after  him  came  James  Drew,  who 
came  to  the  territory  of   Douglas  county  in 

1839,  having,  with  his  father,  a  job  to  split 
rails  for  Taylor.  Land  was  cheap  here  at 
that  time,  and  Drew  being  only  eighteen  years 
of  age,  thought  it  a  favorable  opportunity  to 
secure  a  start  by  entering  land.  He  first  en- 
tered eighty  acres,  borrowing  one  hundred  dol- 
lars of  Taylor  to  make  the  purchase,  and  con- 
tracting to  discharge  a  portion  of  the  debt  by 
day's  labor.     He  put  up  a  split-log  house  in 

1840,  and  lived  with  his  brother-in-law.  At 
this  time,  for  thirty  miles  west  in  the  direction 
of  Decatur,  there  was  not  a  single  house. 
Jacob  Mosbarger  was  among  the  earliest  set- 
tlers in  Garrett  township.  He  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  settled  subsecjuently  in  Indiana,  and  in 
1845  started  with  the  intention  of  settling  in 
Iowa.  He  found  it  impossible  to  reach  his 
proposed  destination  in  time  to  secure  a  crop 
before  the  coming  winter,  and  therefore  stoi^ped 
iiere  to  raise  one  crop,  proposing  to  continue 
iiis  journey  the  next  season.  He  was  so  favor- 
ably impressed  with  the  country,  however,  that 
he  gave  up  his  idea  of  proceeding  to  Iowa.  He 
first  settled  in  the  edge  of  the  timber  on  Lake 
Fork,  and  rented  land.  Two  years  later  he 
settled  on  Congress  land,  pre-empting  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  which  still  remains  in  the 


family.  Nathan  Garrett  was  another"  early 
and  prominent  man  in  Garrett  township;  he 
was  newly  married  when  he  came  here  in 
April,  1845,  ^i"*-!  began  life  on  a  capital  of  forty 
dollars  in  cash,  and  two  horses  and  a  wagon; 
he  began  by  renting  land  until  1852,  when  he 
entered  eighty  acres,  and  has  been  successful 
in  amassing  considerable  property.  Benjamin 
Ellars,  a  native  of  Ohio,  came  to  Illinois  in 
1835.  In  1849  he  moved  to  Douglas  county, 
and  settled  on  the  west  side  of  the  east  Okaw 
timber,  just  south  of  the  Campaign  county 
line.  The  family  was  one  of  the  first  to  locate 
in  that  vicinity.  To  the  west  of  their  improve- 
ment on  the  prairie  there  was  not  a  single  set- 
tler. John  D.  Murdock,  for  whom  a  township 
m  Douglas  county  was  named,  was  a  prominent 
settler  in  that  section  of  the  county;  he  was  a 
native  of  Ohio,  but  had  made  a  settlement  in 
Fountain  county,  Indiana,  but,  dissatisfied  with 
the  health  of  the  section,  he  sought  a  home  in 
a  prairie  country.  His  attention  was  called  to 
this  region  in  1853,  and  in  July  of  that  year 
came  here  to  "spy  out  the  land."  Pleased  with 
the  outlook  he  woukl  have  purchased  land,  but 
did  not  meet  with  a  satisfactory  opportunity. 
On  returning  home  he  .sold  his  farm,  and  in 
January,  1854,  returned,  coming  to  George- 
town, and  then  by  way  of  Hickory  Grove,  fol- 
lowing the  ridge  to  Camargo.  At  this  time 
he  met  with  a  man  of  whom  he  bought  some 
three  hundred  ;uk1  forty  acres  at  eleven  dollars 
per  acre.  In  the  follcjwing  April  he  bniught 
his  family.  A  split-kjg  house  stood  u])on  the 
tract  at  the  time  of  its  purchase,  Init  being  in- 
sufficient for  the  accommodation  of  his  family, 
iVIr.  Murdock  prep.ired  a  frame  house  in  In- 
diana, and  hauled  it  to  his  new  purchase  where 
he  put  it  up  in  readiness  for  his  family. 


i6 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL 


William  W.  Young  came  to  Douglas  county 
in  the  fall  of  1853,  and  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  in  Newman  township.  He  was  a  native 
of  Indiana,  and  lived  for  a  few  years  after  his 
marriage  on  rented  land  in  his  native  state. 
He  then  came  to  Douglas  county,  accompanied 
by  two  of  his  wife's  brothers.  After  entering 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  he  re- 
turned to  Indiana,  and  a  year  later  came  with 
his  family  to  the  place  chosen  for  his  new  home. 
On  their  arrival  they  boarded  for  a  week  in  the 
neighborhood,  while  Mr.  Young  erected  a 
frame  dwelling  into  which  the  family  moved 
directly  it  was  completed.  J.  M.  Cooley,  one 
of  those  accompanying  Mr.  Young,  took  up 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  a  land  warrant 
in  November,  1853.  B.  C.  Nelson  came  to 
Douglas  county  three  years  later,  and  bought 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  railroad 
land  on  section  4,  township  16  north,  range  8 
east.  With  the  exception  of  one  or  two  fam- 
ilies there  were  no  neighbors  nearer  than  Okaw 
timber,  and  the  site  of  Tuscola  was  a  wild 
prairie  covered  with  tall  grass  and  resin  weed. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  character  of  the 
country  or  in  the  history  of  the  emigrants 
to  this  section  to  lead  to  the  early  formation 
of  villages  or  thickly  settled  communities.  The 
pioneers  of  Douglas  county  came  singly  or  l.\- 
twos  and  Ihrees,  and  fixed  upon  an  eligililc  site 
for  farming,  and  there  pitched  their  tabernacle. 
Up  to  the  coming  of  the  railroad  influence  in 
1850,  Camargo  was  the  only  village  even  on 
paper,  and  there  was  therefore  no  dislurl>ing 
intluence  to  divert  the  even  settling  up  of  the 
country.  Camargo  dates  earliest  among  the 
townships  of  the  county  in  settlement,  and 
counts  among  the  early  settlers  the  Richmans, 
Hammets,  Gills,  Braggs,  Watsons  and  Mur- 


docks.  Tuscola  claims  William  Brian,  the 
Hacketts,  O.  J.  Jones,  J.  W.  Smith,  G.  P. 
Phinney,  B.  F.  Boggs,  B.  C.  Nelson  and  others. 
Garrett  claims  the  Garretts,  Otters,  Mullens, 
Lesters,  Goodsons,  Mosbargers,  Drews,  Howes 
and  Ellars.  Newman  incudes  among  its  early 
settlers  Enoch  Howell,  the  Winklers,  the  Hoj)- 
kinses,  Cooleys,  Youngs,  Skinners  and  Shutes. 
Sargent  numbers  the  family  from  which  it 
took  its  name,  Ashmores,  Gwinns,  Reddens, 
Allisons,  Maddox,  Casebear  and  others.  Bow- 
dre  claims  Isaac  Davidson,  Breedens,  Davises 
and  Barnetts.  Areola,  the  Shaws,  Henrys  and 
McCanns;  and  Bourbon  the  Moores,  Deharts, 
Weltons,  Nelson  Shaw,  the  Drews  and  others. 
In  the  latter  township  are  quite  a  number  of 
Germans  who  came  in  about  1852  and  the  years 
immediately  following,  and  in  1864  the  first 
of  a  considerable  number  of  the  same  national- 
ity generally  known  by  tlie  "Amish,"  a  name 
commonly  bestowed  upon  this  sect  of  relig- 
ionists. 

NATURAL   RESOURCES. 

The  country  which  these  pioneers  has  thus 
chosen  was  a  hunter's  paradise.  The  prairie 
and  timber  were  thronged  with  game  of  all 
kinds,  and  without  this  the  early  settler's  fare 
must  have  been  hard  indeed.  Tlie  first  coiners 
to  this  region  were  considerably  in  advance 
of  those  pioneer  industries  which  mitigate  the 
severities  of  pioneer  life  and  were  forced  to 
make  long  journeys  for  the  common  necessities. 
Thus  cut  oft'  from  the  natural  sources  of  supply, 
the  pioneer  was  forced  to  depend  upon  the  re- 
sources of  the  country  alone,  which,  even  with 
the  abundance  of  game,  proved  but  a  meager 
support  for  the  family.     Deer  were  found  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  17 

unlimited  numbers,  and  tlie  first  settlers  found  found  scMne  fine  edible  fish.  With  tbis  abundance 

no  trouble  in  killing  more  than  the  needs  of  the  of  what  are  even  now  considered  lu.xuries,  it 

family  required,  right  at  his  own  door.   Droves,  would  seem  at  a  casual  glance  that  the  pioneer 

reaching  to   the   number  of   a   hundred,   were  life  was  a  life  of  ease  rather  than  banlshi]) :  Imt 

often  seen,  and  settlers  were  in  the  hal)it  of  car-  when  it  is  considered  that  these  were  the  sum 

rying  their  guns  on  almost  all  occasions,  and  of  their  early  luxuries,  that  what  we  deem  Ihc 

seldom  returned  from  any  expedition  without  .  cnnimun  necessities  and  find  so  cheaj)  as  to  ])ass 

an    evidence   of   the   abundance   of    these   ani-  almost    unnoticed    in    our    estimate   of    family 

mals  in  the  shape  of  a  haunch  or  ham  of  veni-  supjjlies  and  exj)enses,  were  to  the  early  settlers 

.son.    Wild  hogs  served  also  to  vary  the  frontier  almost  inaccessible  and  the  most  expensive,  a 

fare.     These  were  animals  that  had   escaped  great  change  is  wrought  in  our  estimate.     Salt 

from  the  older  settlements,  and,  subsisting  upon  was  more  exi)ensive  than  sugar  and  more  dif- 

the  nuts  and  niots  of  the  woodland,  bad  gone  limit  to  ])rocure.      Mour  could  not   I'or  ;i  time 

wild  in  the  cour.se  of  nature.     They  were  of  a  be  ])roctued  at  any  price,  ;md  even  meal,  such 

long-legged,  gaunt  species,  and  kept  the  timber  as   is   pmvided    to-day,    was   unknown    on    the 

])retty  closely.     They  were  no  particular  dam-  frontier.     And  even  the  variety  of  g;iuie  ])ro- 

age  or  annoyance  to  the  settlers,  but  furnished  vided  soon  failed  ti>  answer  the  ])urposes  of  beef 

capital  hunting  sport,  and  gave  a  relief  to  the  and  jjork.     The  system  exposed  to  niv.ages  of 

monotonous    recurrence   of   veni.son    upon    the  disease,  and  sn1>ject  to  the  trying  experience  of 

table  of  the  settler.     Wolves  were  of  the  coyote  early    farm   l;il)or,   demanded   .something  more 

species   and    were   found    in   the   open   prairie.  sul)stantial  than  this.     Nor  could  all  give  their 

These  were  of  more  annoyance  to  the  settle-  attention  to  InnUing.     'i"hc  i)rime  reason  for  the 

ments,  attacking  sheep,  young  pigs  and  .some-  presence  of  most  of  the  i)ioneers  in  this  country 

times  cattle.     They  were  miserable  cowards,  was  to  build  up  a  home  and  lay  the  fomidations 

never  attacking  a  per.son,  and  were  hunted  and  for  a  future  competence,  and  to  accom])hsh  tbis 

killed  as  a  nuisance.     They  were  small  and  un-  the  Larger  part  of  the  couimunity  centered  here 

dersized,  making  the  night  dismal   with   their  had  only  their  h.anils  witli  which  to  accomplish 

howling,  and  when  overtaken  i)y  the  dogs  would  tbeir  mission.     It  w.is  no  inicomuion  occurrence 

fall  on  their  backs  and  fight  nmch  like  a  cat.  bi   find   men   surrounded   by  this  profusion  of 

On   frozen  ground.  an<l  when  filled  with  a  re-  game  who  iie\er  shot  a  deer,  ;md  occ;ision;dly 

cent  meal,  they  were  run  down  with  little  dilli-  "H^'  \vbo  never  owned  a  gun. 
cnlty  on  horseback.  ;is  they  seemed  to  ;i\(iiil  the 

limber  .and  wotild  ri>k  capture  rather  than  go  ,,,,,.  ,,j^  ,,,,||,  ,,,.^,|^,,,. 
into   it.      Pinnated    and    ruffed    grouse,    better 

known  ;is  pr.airie  chickens  ;md  partridges,  were  The  ]>ioneers  who  formed  the  early  settle- 
everywhere  found  in  inexhaustible  numbers  and  ments  in  this  comity  were  gener.ally  fanuliar 
funushed  a  touch  of  delicacy  to  the  early  fare,  with  the  isolatiou.  ;nid  inured  to  the  haiHlships 
Wild  geese  and  ducks  were  to  be  had  in  con-  and  privations  of  frontier  life,  but  with  all  this 

siderable   numbers,    while    in    the    rivers    were  the  ojien  jirairie  ])resented  dilficulties  to  which 
2 


i8 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


they  had  liilherto  been  a  stranj;ei-.     From  the 
standpoint  of  this  later  day,  when  the  adupta- 
bihty  of  the  prairie  has  been  so  abnndantly 
proven,  it  seems  unfortunate  tiiat  tlie  early  ex- 
periences of  these  pioneers  led  them  to  cling 
to  the  timbered  portions  of  the  country  where 
foul  w-ater  and  miasma  aggravated  the  inev- 
itable discomforts  of  frontier  existence.     Life 
in  a  new  country  is  everywhere  sulijected  to 
the  misery  of  malarious  diseases.    The  clearing 
off  of  timber  or  the  breaking  up  of  prairie  sod, 
involving  the  rapid  decay  of  large  quantities 
of  vegetable  matter,  gave  rise  to  the  inevitable 
miasma,  which  wrought  its  sure  work  upon  the 
system.     Such  sickness  was  generally  confined 
to  the  last  of  the  summer  and  fall.     There  was 
but    little    sickness    in    winter,  except    a    few 
lingering  fall  cases  that  had  become  chronic; 
there  were  but  few  cases  after  severe  frosts, 
and  the  spring  and  early  summer  were  per- 
fectly  healthy.      It   was   commonly   remarked 
that  when  the  bloom  of  the  resin  weed  and 
other  yellow  flowers  appeared,  it  was  time  to 
look  for  the  ague.     The  first  spring  flowers  on 
the  prairie  were  mostly  pink  and  white,  then 
followed  purple  and  blue,  antl  about  the  middle 
of  August  yellow  predominated.     High  water 
in  spring,  flooding  the  Ijottoms  and  filling  the 
lagoons  and  low  places  along  the  streams,  and 
then  drying  off  with  the  hot  sun  of  Jidy  and 
August,  was  a  fruitful  cause  of  disease,  and  in 
such  localities  it  was  often  ([uite  sickly,  while 
the  higher  ])rairie  was  comparatively  exempt. 
With    these   e\ils    the    pioneer   was   generally 
forced  to  struggle  alone.     Physicians  were  very 
few,  and  often  so  far  situated  from  the  scat- 
tered settlements  that  it  took  a  day's  ride  to 
reach  them.    But  where  they  were  found  within 
practical  distance,  the  urgent  necessity  for  the 


])ractice  of  every  economy  led  the  settlers  to  de- 
pend upon  their  own  skill.  Boneset,  Culver's 
physic  (root),  and  a  long  list  of  teas  and  herb 
decoctions  were  to  be  found  in  every  cabin, 
and  most  of  the  ailments  incident  to  a  frontier 
life  were  generally  made  to  yielil  to  them.  To 
have  a  severe  case  of  malarial  fever  or  several 
season's  run  of  the  ague  was  expected  by  each 
new-comer,  and  none  were  considered  as  having 
been  fully  inducted  into  all  the  mysteries  of  citi- 
zenship until  they  had  had  the  regular  malarial 
experience. 

THE    CABIN. 

The  early  settlers  brought  with  them  noth- 
ing but  what  the  necessities  of  the  situation  de- 
manded.    One    wagon    generally    sufficed    to 
bring  the  family,  household  furniture,  farming 
implements  and  freiiuently  two  or  three  months' 
supplies.     It  requires  no  great  amount  of  con- 
sideration to  conclude  that  luxuries,  or  even 
comforts,  could  find  no  place  in  such  an  outfit, 
and  so  the  pioneer,  after  constructing  a  shelter 
for  his  family,  found  his  skill  and  ingenuity 
taxed  to  their  utmost  to  supply  this  deficiency. 
It  was  necessary  to  manufacture  tables,  chairs 
and  bedsteads  before  they  could  be  used,  and 
some  of  the  most  striking  incidents  of  frontier 
life  are  founded  upon  this  universal  dearth  of 
ordinary  comforts.     Hand  tools  were  always 
a  part  of  the  load  when  possessed  by  the  emi- 
grant, but  in  the  ab.sence  of  these  the  ax  ac- 
complished all  that  was  necessary.     A  section 
of  a  good-sized  log,  smoothed  with  an  ax  and 
furnished  with  a  rough  back,  or  often  without 
a  back  of  any  sort,  and  legs,  took  the  place  of 
chairs.    A  rude  bedstead  was  often  constructed 
in  the  corner  of  the  cabin  with  a  single  leg, 
the  two  sides  of  the  structure  supporting  the 


IU()(iR.\l'lllt;.\L   AXi:)    IllSl'OKICAI.. 


'9 


rest  of  the  bedstead  which  was  framed  in  the 
logs.  Upon  this  tiie  Ijed  cord,  whicli  conld  be 
easily  brought,  was  arranged,  or  in  its  alisence, 
deer-hide  thongs.  This  or  simply  a  heap  of 
brush  supported  the  "tick,"  which  was  brought 
with  the  f.'imily,  and  tilled  wilii  leaves  and  dried 
grass  until  the  first  crop  supplied  a  better  sub- 
stitute in  the  husks. 

The  cabin  itself  displayed  the  ingenuity  rjf 
the  pioneer  and  the  poverty  of  his  resources. 
A  log  pen,  with  a  single  door  and  window,  the 
latter  closed  with  greased  paper  t)r  left  open, 
and  the  door  pro\-ided  with  a  simple  liL'uiket, 
the  fireplace  constructed  of  such  loose  stones 
as  could  be  ftnnul,  and  the  chimney  built  uj)  of 
sticks  protected  with  a  covering  of  mud;  the 
roof  of  "shakes"  split  from  ;i  straight-grained 
tree,  and  held  in  place  by  weight  poles,  com- 
pleted the  lout  cnsi'iiihlc  of  the  early  homes. 
At  first  there  was  often  no  floor  but  the  ground, 
but  generally  slabs  split  out  from  tiie  unsea- 
soned timiier  were  smoothed  with  the  ax  and 
made  to  do  good  ser\ice  as  a  i)rotection  from 
the  bare  earth.  Wiien  the  door  was  con- 
structed, these  "puncheons"  serxed  as  tiie  ma- 
terial from  wln'ch  it  w;is  constructed,  wooden 
pins  taking  the  place  of  nails,  and  wdoden 
hinges.  Latch  anil  b.ars  ser\  ing  llu'  pniposes  of 
the  modern  Ijuilder's  h.ardw.'ue. 

•Ill  !•;   I\KM. 

'J  hese  i)relimin.Lrics  ;icconiplislu'd.  the  most 
urgent  necessity  w.as  to  secure  a  crop,  'i'he 
jjjows  were  crude  .'ifTairs.  strong  ,-md  serviceable 
but  requiring  great  team  ])ower  and  consider- 
able mechanical  skill  in  the  iilowman.  The  sod 
was  lonnd  tough,  not  easily  "t;tined."  ami  very 


uncertain  in  jiroducing  a  first  crop.  So  tenacious 
was  the  turf,  that  the  furrow  turned  out  one 
unbroken  strip  of  earth,  and  occasionally,  when 
not  especially  careful,  the  plowman  had  the  dis- 
ai)pointmenl  of  seeing  yards  of  this  leathery 
soil  turn  back  to  its  natural  position,  necessitat- 
ing the  tedious  o])eration  of  turning  it  all  back 
again  by  h;md.  The  expenditure  of  all  this  la- 
bor was  generally  well  repaid  the  first  year,  if 
the  sod  became  thoroughly  rotted,  even  thougii 
it  ])rodnced  but  a  small  crop.  Ofteutiiues  the 
second  and  third  plowing  showed  the  soil  stub- 
liorn  .and  unkind.  bV'w,  e\en  among  farmers, 
know  much  of  the  labor  in\olved  in  "breaking 
prairie,"  unless  they  have  experienced  its  ob- 
stacles and  overcome  them.  Corn  was  the 
only  cro])  ])lantcd  at  first,  and  this  furnished 
food  for  man  and  beast.  .\  few  years  later, 
it  was  a  mark  of  unusual  pros])erity  to  be  .able 
to  ftirnish  wheat  bread  to  especial  guests.  The 
first  crop  was  generally  planted  by  cutting  a 
g;ish  in  the  inverted  sod  with  an  ax,  dropping 
in  the  corn  and  closing  it  by  .another  blow  i)e- 
side  the  first;  or  it  was  dro|)ped  in  every  third 
fiu^row,  .and  the  sod  turned  on  it:  if  the  corn 
w.is  so  placed  ;is  to  find  the  S])ace  between  the 
furrows,  it  would  lind  daylight:  if  not,  the  re- 
sult of  the  |)lanting  was  extremely  doubtful. 
Of  course  culti\;ition  in  this  case  was  impos- 
sible, and  il  the  crows  and  s(|uirrels  gave  tlie 
crop  ;in  o|)porliinity  to  mature,  il  generally 
|)ro\cd  .1  s.ilistaclory  return,  i.ater  the  culture 
ol  wheat  w.is  begun,  .and  with  the  increase  of 
markets  h.as  grown  to  larger  proportions. 

Most  of  the  settlers  brought  in  horses  and 
cows,  but  the  former  pretty  generally  ga\e  way 
to  oxen  for  working  purposes.  Hogs  and  sheep 
were  occasionally  brought  in  at  first,  but  gen- 


20 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


erally  they  were  a  later  importation.     x'Ml  these 
animals  were  supported  with  little  cost.     The 
wide  range  of  wild   grass  afforded   excellent 
pasture  and  hay.    With  the  range  the  early  set- 
tlers had,  their  cattle  would  put  on  more  flesh 
and  in  less  time  than  on  any  other  jjasture. 
The  sedge  which  grew  along  the  sloughs  was 
t',<e  first  to  start  in  the  spring,  and  furnished 
the  earliest  pasture.     The  hent  or  blue-joint, 
which  was  principally  found  along  the  sides  of 
the  sloughs,  or,  in  the  vernacular  of  the  pioneer, 
"between  the  dry  and  wet  land,"  was  preferrcl 
by  stock  to  all  other  varieties,  especially  when 
mixed  with  the  wild  pea-vine.     This  made  the 
best  hay,  and,  as  its  yield  was  very  large,  was 
generally  selected  for  this  purpose.     But  the 
combined  ravages  of  stock  and  scythe  rapidly 
exterminated    it,    so    that    in    many   cases    the 
ground  where  it  grew  became  almost  bare  of 
vegetation.    The  stock  and  the  farmer  then  re- 
sorted to  ui)land  grasses,  but  before  the  settlers 
multi[)lied  so  as  to  limit  the  range  of  the  stock, 
the  older  and  more  experienced  of  the  herd 
would  go  long  distances  to  find  their  favorite 
pasture,  often  necessitating  on  the  part  of  the 
pioneer  a  hunt  of  several  days  to  recover  them. 
The    native    grasses    were    scarcely    less 
marked   for  their  medicinal  fjualities.     Cattle 
and  horses  seemed  to  be  remarkably  free  from 
disease  so  long  as  they  could  find  plenty  of 
wild  grass  and  hay  to  feed  upon.    Horses  raised 
upon  the  prairie  were  said  never  to  be  afflicted 
with  the  heaves,   while  horses  brought  here, 
suffering  with  this  malady,  were  speedily  cured 
by  simply  feeding  on  the  native  grasses.     This 
advantage,  however,  was  somewhat  offset  by 
the  colic  which  this  rank  grass  frec|uently  pro- 
duced in  horses  with  fatal  effect. 


MILLS   AND   MARKETS. 

No  sooner  was  a  crop  secured  than  the  lack 
of  any  proper  means  to  reduce  it  to  the  neces- 
sities of  the  household  was  made  painfully  ap- 
parent. So  long  as  the  corn  was  soft,  it  was 
grated  on  rude  graters,  made  by  punching  holes 
through  a  piece  of  tin.  After  it  became  hard, 
it  was  sometimes  parched  and  ground  in  a  cof- 
fee mill,  and  at  other  times  pounded  in  a  rudely 
constructed  mortar.  A  stump  was  hollowed 
out  by  burning  and  scraping  to  serve  as  a 
mortar.  Over  this  was  suspended  from  a 
"sweep"  a  pestle,  to  the  end  of  which  was  fixed 
an  iron  wedge,  and  with  this  rude  machinery 
bushels  of  corn  were  broken  sufficiently  fine  to 
use  in  the  various  ways  common  to  pioneer 
days.  The  finest  was  used  in  cornpones  and 
dodgers,  while  the  coarser  was  used  as  hominy, 
the  separation  being  effected  by  means  of  a 
sieve  made  of  a  perforated  deerskin  stretched 
tightly  over  a  frame.  Corn-crackers  were  put 
in  various  settlements  at  an  early  date,  but  these 
did  but  little  better  work  than  the  mortar.  They 
did  the  work  quicker,  antl  such  a  mill  was  kept 
running  night  and  day,  while  the  patrons  com- 
ing from  distances  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
would  wait  patiently  for  a  day  or  two  to  get 
their  grist.  But  for  flour,  the  only  resort  was 
to  Eugene,  Indiana,  where  an  older  settlement 
had  secured  the  ad\antages  of  a  tlouring  mill. 
The  demand  for  groceries  was  limited  to  the 
means  for  jnnxhasing,  which  were  generally 
of  the  most  slender  sort.  There  was  but  little 
to  sell,  and  then  the  only  market  was  at  Chi- 
cago, where  the  settlers  hauled  hundreds  of 
bushels  of  shelled  corn  to  sell  at  thirty  cents  per 
bushel.    Coonskins,  however,  were  almost  land- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  21 

office  money.     Fur  buyers  were  an  institution  of  tlic  settlers  captured  swarms,  jtlaced  them  in 

of  the  early  times  here,  and  many  a  quarter-  sections  of  iiollow  logs,  and  in  a  little  while 

section  was  purchased  with  the  price  of  these  possessed  a  constant  source  of  sup])ly  for  the 

skins.  tahle  and  the  market,     fn  some  cases  this  was 

There  were   some   luxuries.   howe\er,   that  the  princii)le  source  for  the  swceteniui;'  used  in 

could   be--secured    without   money.      Bee   trees  the  culinary  work  of  the  cahin,  and   was  the 

were,  in  tiiany  parts  of  the  country,   found  in  basis   of  a    favorite  drink.      "iMetheglin"   was 

great  numbers,  and  no  [liece  of  timber  was  en-  made  of  steeped  honey-comb,  and   honey   fer- 

tirely  devoid  of  them.      It  sometimes  reiiuired  mented.      it    was   counted   an   excellent   drink, 

an  expert  to  find  them,  and  some  united  pleas-  and     much     preferred     to     cider,     and     when 

ure  and  profit  in  this  sort  of  hunting.     An  ex-  strengthened  by  age  became  a  ]>owerful  intoxi- 

perienced   hunter   would   go  out   in   a   bright,  cant.     This,  liowe\'er.  has  passed  away  with 

warm  day  in  winter  or  late  fall  and  burn  some  many   other   of    the    homely    joys    of    pioneer 

honev  comb,  which  seldom  failed  to  attract  the  days. 

game  to  the  honey,  which  was  provided  for  The  ready  tact  of  the  jiioneer  housewives, 
them.  Loading  up  with  this,  the  bee  would  rise,  and  the  unpampered  tastes  of  that  early  day. 
circling  in  the  air.  and  then  fly  straight  to  its  found  a  gooil  substitute  for  fruit  in  the  ])um])- 
tree.  It  was  then  the  hunter's  business  to  fol-  kin.  When  frozen,  they  were  ])re])ared  and 
low  the  fleet-winged  insect  closely,  and  thus  stewed  down  to  a  siru]).  which  furnished  a  \ery 
pert,  and  there  were  few  who  were  marked  acceptable  substitute  for  sugar  or  molasses  in 
discover  its  secret.  To  do  this  required  an  ex-  the  absence  of  honey,  and  mixed  with  fresh 
for  their  success.  Sometimes  a  number  of  bees  stewe<l  pumpkin  formed  a  desiral)le  sweetmeat, 
from  a  single  tree,  at  no  great  distance,  were  They  were  planted  in  considerable  numbers, 
attracted.  Tiiese  do  not  rise  in  circles,  but  tlart-  and  stored  in  a  vault  constructetl  underneath 
ing  to  and  fro  in  a  straight  line,  make  the  course  the  haystacks  to  be  fed  to  the  cattle  during  the 
])lain  enough  to  be  easily  followed,  but  this  is  winter.  Well  m;iy  this  "fruit  loved  of  boy- 
rare.  In  other  cases,  the  best  that  can  be  done  hood"  be  .-qjostrophized  l)y  the  ])oet,  and  bon- 
is to  disco\er  the  direction  of  the  bee's  fliglit,  orablv  'le  pl.-iced  in  a  state's  coat  of  arms, 
and  taking  this — against  the  sun  if  possible — 

to  stumble  along  with  ui)turned  gaze,  scanning  pi'MuiI'  tk  wfi 
e\ery  tree  for  the  telltale  hole  or  crack.      I'.ut 

when  the  tree  was  found  the  b.ittle  was  but  hall  W-ighborlioods  extended  o\er  a  wide  area 
won.  This  must  be  felled  and  the  occupant,^  of  connti'v,  and  a  journey  of  fifteen  miles  was 
dispossessed  of  their  stores.  When  the  hollow  not  considered  .a  gi'eat  undertaking  for  an  after- 
extended  down  to  the  point  where  the  ax  must  noon's  \isil.  Koads  were  few.  and  the  jjrairie, 
l)enetrate  it.  the  hunter  was  olten  obliged  to  easilv  cut  u]).  often  presented  at  ))oints  where 
decani])  in  hot  h.aste  as  soon  as  the  blows  h.ad  hues  of  tra\el  were  obliged,  by  the  conforma- 
aroused  the  swarm.  tion  of  the  land,  to  unite,  bog  holes,  that  ])roved 
The  bee  was  easily  domesticated,  and  many  almost  impassible.     So  long  as  the  paucity  of 


22 


TUOdRAI'HlCAL  AND    HISTORICAL. 


settlement  allowed  a  pretty  free  selection  of 
route,  mud  holes  could  be  generally  evaded 
and  a  worn  track  avoided.  But  this  prac- 
tice had  its  disadvantages.  In  a  coun 
try  without  continuous  fences  and  few 
landmarks,  save  the  groves,  it  requires  some 
skill  and  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  country 
to  successfully  cross  even  a  small  prairie  in  day- 
light. Crossing  the  uncultixated  prairie  at 
night  was  a  very  uncertain  venture  even  to  the 
most  expert.  If  the  night  was  clear,  the  stars 
were  a  reliable  guide,  and  the  pioneers  became 
quite  proficient  in  the  simpler  rudin'cnts  of 
astronomy.  In  a  cloudy  night,  and  a  snowy 
or  foggy  day,  their  resources  were  less  sure. 
A  steady  wind  often  proved  the  only  guide. 
The  traveler,  getting  his  bearings,  would  note 
how  the  wind  struck  his  nose^the  right  or  left 
ear— and  then,  keenly  alive  to  these  sensations, 
would  so  maintain  his  course  as  to  keep  the 
bearing  of  the  wind  always  the  same,  and  re- 
gardless of  all  other  guides,  would  generally 
reach  Ins  destination  without  difficulty.  To 
do  this  required  no  little  skill  and  a  steady  wind. 
If  the  latter  changed  gradually,  the  better  the 
skill,  the  wider  the  traveler  diverged  from  his 
true  course.  Without  these  guides,  it  was  a 
mere  accident  if  a  person  succeeded  ui  crossing 
even  a  small  prairie.  The  tendency  is  to  move 
in  a  circle,  and  when  this  is  once  begun  and  oli- 
served  by  the  traveler,  the  only  resource  is  to 
camp  in  the  most  convenient  place  ai;d  manner, 


and  wait  for  morning.  Each  family  had  its 
signal  light,  which  served  to  mark  the  place 
of  the  cabin.  It  was  a  frequent  practice  to  erect 
a  pole  by  the  chimney,  upon  which  a  lighted 
lantern  was  placed.  Others  had  a  light  in  the 
window,  which  often  saved  a  dreary  night's 
experience  on  the  open  prairie. 

Such  experiences,  unpleasant  in  mild 
weather,  were  too  often  fatal  in  the  winter  sea- 
son. The  trackless  prairie,  covered  with  a  de- 
cejitive  expanse  of  snow,  and  swept  by  a  fierce 
blast,  which  pierced  the  most  ample  clothing 
and  the  hardiest  frame,  made  the  stoutest  heart 
waver.  Journeys  were  seldom  undertaken  in 
such  circumstances,  save  under  stress  of  the 
most  urgent  necessity.  But  nearly  every  early 
settler  can  rememlier  some  experience  in  winter- 
season  traveling,  while  some  never  reached  the 
home  they  sought,  or  the  end  of  the  journey 
reluctantly  begun. 

\\'ith  the  settlement  of  the  prairie,  and  the 
regular  laying-out  of  roads,  traveling  became 
less  dangerous,  tiiough  scarcely  less  difficult. 
The  amount  of  labor  which  could  be  devoted 
by  the  few  people  in  the  scattered  settlements, 
made  but  little  effect  upon  the  roads  of  the 
country,  which  seemed  particularly  exposed, 
by  the  character  of  the  .soil  and  the  conforma- 
tion of  its  surface,  to  the  unfavorable  action  of 
r.iin,  and  c\cn  now  the  farming  community 
pays  a  heav)'  annual  triliute  to  nuiddy,  impass- 
able roads. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH 


UF 


DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


CHAPTKR    II. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY. 


I!Y    HENRY    C.    NILKS. 


By  the  treaty  of  peace  between  the  iM-encIi  St.   ("lair   ^la(Ii^(m   was  iiiacle;   fmni   Madison, 

rnul  Englisli  in   i/C)^,  the  Illinois  comilrv  was  (,'rawfonl;    the    slale    then    had    abont    hiteen 

ceded  to  the  latter.     It  remained  in  their  hamls  eonnlies.       In    iSh)    flark    was    set    oil    Iroin 

until  I  77S,  in  which  year  X'irginia  troops  under  I'rawford,  and  exlendeil  to  the  northward  in- 

( ien.  Clark  con(|uered  the  country.      A  county  delinilely.      Coles    county     was    or<;ani/.ed     in 

called  Illinois  was  then  or.t;anize(h  and  had  been  liS^o-^i;  Cumberland  parted   fi-oin  it  in   1S4-', 

considered    hitherto    a   part  of    the    territorx  and  Douglas  in  i^^(). 

included    in    the    charter    of     Viro-inia.     \'ir-  Illinois    was   admitted    into    the    Ihiion    of 

g-inia      ceded      it      to      the       United       States  states  in    iNiS,  with  an  area  of  fifty-live  thou- 

in     17S7,    and     it     was     called     the     "Xorth-  .sand,  four  hundred  and  ten  sipiare  miles,  about 

west     territory."        In      iSoo     it    rcccixed     a  four    hundred    and    nine    of    which    belong-   to 

se])ar;ite  org;mization  and  .a  territorial  go\crn-  Douglas  coinily. 

ment  in  conjtuiclion   with  and  uinler  the  name  Coles  county,  fioni  the  area  ol  which  Doug- 

of    Indiana.      .Vnoiher   (|i\i^iol1    took    place    in  las  was  taken,  oiu'c  comprised  within  its  bounds 

i.SoQ   when   the  distinct    li'i  liloiios  of    Indi.an.a  all    of    Cumbcrlaml    county    as    wi'll.    .and    was 

and    Illinois  were   formeil.  named   in  honor  of   b'.dward  t/oles,  the  second 

The  name  of   Illinois  is  derived    from  that  go\ernor   of   the   slate,   elected    in    iSjj. 

of   its   great    river,    an    aboriginal    .appelkition,  .\niongsl  the  smallest  counties  in  the  state, 

signifying  the  "i\i\er  of  men."  though  U'll   the  le.ast  by  some  seven  or  eight, 

When    Illinois  terrilorv  was  a  part  of   In-  Douglas  county   is  gcograjihically   in   the  east 

(liana,    the   .se.at    of   government    was   at    V'in-  centre  of  the  state,  and  lies  below  the  lortieth 

eennes,  and  when  the  territory  was  set  off  from  jiarellel   of   latitude,    Tuscola    the  county   seal, 

Indi.ana  in  tSoi)  the  whole  sl.ale  w.as  made  into  being  in  latitude  thirty  mne  <legrees,  forty-live 

two  counties.  Si.  Clair  .and   Randolph.     From  minutes,  north.     The  county  is  bounded  on  the 


26 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


north  l)y  Champaign  county,  on  the  east  by 
Etlgar,  upon  the  south  by  Coles,  and  on  the 
west  by  MouUrie  and  Piatt. 

The  election  for  and  against  the  new  county 
was  held  in  Coles  county  on  the  first  Monday 
in  March,  1S59.  and  the  clerk  was  ordered  to 
make  his  returns  to  Coleman  Bright  and  Joseph 
B.  McCown,  of  Camargo. 

Coles  was  a  large  county  of  some  twenty- 
four  congressional  townships,  and  containing 
about  eight  hundred  and  eighty  square  miles. 
New  towns,  demanded  by  the  rapidly  increas- 
ing population  of  the  north  part,  were  springing 
into  existence,  the  principal  of  which,  Tuscola 
and  Okaw  (for  so  Areola  was  originally 
called),  upon  the  line  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  had  been  laid  out,  the  latter  by  the 
railroad,  upon  its  own  lands,  and  the  former 
upon  railroad  lands  by  private  enterprise. 

The  tedious  trip,  over  the  prairie  of  twenty 
or  twenty-five  miles,  to  Charleston,  the  county 
seat,  laid  out  in  1831,  and  the  almost  universal 
disposition  of  the  people  toward  concentration, 
carried  still  farther,  eventually,  by  township 
organization,  were  amongst  the  inducements 
that  brought  about  the  division. 

Origin  of  Douglas. — In  date  of  formation, 
Douglas  county  precedes  Ford  by  one  day  only, 
and  lacks  so  much  of  being  the  latest-formed 
county  of  the  state,  but  though  late  in  asserting 
its  independence,  it  has  not  been  unknown  to 
the  geography  of  the  state,  under  other  titles. 
In  October,  1778,  it  was  included  in  the  county 
of  Illinois;  in  1790,  it  became  a  part  of  St. 
Clair  county;  in  1816  a  part  of  Crawford;  in 
1819  a  part  of  Clark;  in  1823  a  part  of  Edgar, 
and  in  1830  a  part  of  Coles.  During  all  this 
time  the  territory  now  included  within  the  lim- 
its of  Douglas  county  was  a  wilderness,  with- 


out the  habitation  of  a  single  white  man,  with 
the  exception  perhaps  of  one  family  in  1829. 
The  county  of  Coles  was  originally  a  part  of 
Edgar,  and  as  first  formed  included  the  terri- 
tory of  the  present  counties  of  Cumberland, 
Coles  and  Douglas.    At  this  time  the  settlement 
at  Charleston  was  strong  in  numbers  and  in- 
fluence, and  became  the  county  seat.     Later, 
as  the  southern  portion  of  its  territory  began 
to  settle  up,  an  agitation  was  begun  for  a  di- 
vision of  the  large  territory  included  in  Coles 
and  while  the  interests  of  Charleston  were  not 
hostile  to  this  movement  in  the  abstract,  there 
was  a  very  decided  preference  manifested  for 
the  way  it  should  be  divided.     The  leaders  of 
the  new  county  movement  preferred  to  have 
the  whole  territory  equally  divided,  but  in  such 
case  it  appeared  certain  that  the  county  seat 
interests  of  Charleston  would  be  put  in  jeop- 
ardy, as  it  would  be  located  too  far  south  in  the 
reconstructed  county  to  long  hold  the  seat  of 
justice.     The  question  was  soon   forced   into 
politics,  and  three  campaigns  were  fought  on 
tliis  issue,  the  candidates  for  the  General  As- 
sembly announcing  themselves  in  favor  of  one 
or  the  other  party.     The  Coles  county  people 
proposed  the  formation  of  a  small  county  on  the 
south,  and  eventually  another  on  the  north,  and 
the  issue  was  defined  in  the  vernacular  of  the 
stock  marks  of  the  time  as  a  crop  or  a  split. 
Twice  the  Charleston  people  defeated  the  split 
at  the  polls  or  in  the  lobby,  but  finally  a  candi- 
date was  elected  upon  the  platform  of  "first  a 
split,  second  a  crop,  but  in  any  case  a  new 
county,"  and  in  1843  Cumberland  county  was 
formed.      Another   county    would   have   been 
formed  from  the  north  end  of  Coles,  but  this 
part  of  its  territory  settled  up  slowly,  and  by 
the  time  that  a  movement  was  made  for  a  new 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORK'Ar.. 


county,  the  necessity  for  its  erection  was  no 
longer  recognized  by  tlie  older  community.  Coles 
county  contained  twenty-four  congressional 
townships,  enough  to  form  two  counties  of  the 
required  area,  and  the  tedious  trip  of  twenty 
or  twenty-five  miles  over  the  prairie  to  the  coun- 
ty seat,  located  considerably  south  of  the  geo- 
graphical center,  intensified  the  determination 
to  divide  it.  Public-spirited  men  organized  the 
movement,  and  a  bill  was  introduced  in  the 
Ceneral  Assembly  to  form  the  new  county. 
The  name  occasioned  no  little  difficulty  at  first. 
W.  D.  Watson,  of  Camargo  township,  was  in 
the  senate  and  a  Republican.  The  ])roposcd 
county  was  politically  in  sympathy  with  him, 
and  the  petition  for  the  new  county  asked  for 
the  name  of  Richman,  that  of  the  first  white 
inhabitant;  others  proposed  and  pressed  the 
name  of  Watson,  and  the  subject  was  discussed 
at  local  meetings,  with  a  good  deal  of  excite- 
ment. There  was  a  disposition  on  the  part  of 
the  legislature  to  reject  both  names,  ruid  honor 
the  name  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas  with  its  desig- 
nation. Dr.  Pearce,  of  Camargo,  and  others 
strongly  resisted  this  suggestion,  and  the  vig- 
orous opposition  was  not  relaxed  until  it  ap- 
])cared  certain  that  a  l)ill  could  not  be  i)assed 
with  another  name,  and  even  then  it  is  said 
thai  ])romise  was  given  liy  certain  responsililc 
persons,  that  the  name  should  subse(|uently  be 
changed.  The  naiue,  however,  has  long  since 
lost  its  political  significance,  and  is  worthily  be- 
stowed in  honor  of  a  brilliant  and  patriotic 
statesman.  The  peculiar  spelling  follows  that 
adopted  by  Senator  Douglas. 

The  act  of  organization. — The  bill  intro- 
duced for  the  purpose  of  organizing  Douglas 
county  provides  as  follows: 

"Section  I.    Be  it  enacted  by  the  People  of 


the  State  of  Illinois,  represented  in  the  General 
Assembly,  That  all  that  portion  of  the  county 
of  Coles  lying  within  the  following  boundaries, 
to  wit:  Commencing  at  the  northeast  corner 
of  the  cf)unty  of  Coles;  thence  west  on  the  line 
between  said  county  and  the  county  of  Cham- 
paign, to  the  northwest  corner  of  the  coinUy 
of  Coles;  thence  soiUh  f)n  the  west  line  of  Coles 
county  to  the  southwest  corner  of  section  eigiit- 
een  (i8),  township  fourteen  (14)  north,  of 
range  seven  east;  thence  east  on  the  section  line 
to  the  southwest  corner  of  section  eighteen 
(  iS),  township  foiu'teen  (14)  north,  range  ten 
east ;  thence  north  to  tiie  township  line  between 
townships  fourteen  (14)  and  fifteen  (15); 
thence  east  on  said  line  to  the  east  line  of  Coles 
county;  and  thence  north  on  the  east  line  of 
C"oles  county  to  the  i)l;ice  of  beginning,  be  and 
the  same  is  hereby  created  into  a  new  county, 
to  be  called  the  county  of  Douglas:  Provided, 
that  a  majority  of  all  the  voters  of  said  county 
ot'  Coles  voting  on  the  (|uestion,  shall  vote  for 
the  same  in  the  m.'nnicr  hereinafter  ]ircscribe<l. 

"Sec.  2.  The  (|ualified  voters  of  the  said 
county  of  Coles  may,  at  an  election  to  be  held 
in  the  several  precincts  of  said  county,  to  be 
held  on  the  first  Monday  of  March  next,  vote 
for  or  against  the  creation  of  the  said  new 
county  of  Douglas  by  ballot,  upon  which  shall 
be  written  or  [)rinted.  or  p;utly  written  and 
]iai-tlv  i)riiUed,  'l'"or  the  New  Comity'  or 
'.Against  the  Xew  County.' 

"Sec.  ,^.  The  clerk  of  the  county  court  of 
the  county  of  Coles  shall  give  notice  of  said 
election  in  the  several  election  districts  in  .said 
county,  in  the  same  manner  as  general  or  special 
elections  are  given,  as  nearly  as  may  lie;  and 
the  judges  of  election  and  clerks  thereof  shall 
conduct  said  election  and  make  returns  thereof 


28 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


in  the  same  manner  as  is  now  provided  by  law 
for  conducting  elections.  In  case  of  vacancies  in 
the  board  of  election,  or  failure  to  attend,  such 
vacancies  of  absentees  shall  be  filled  in  the  same 
manner  as  is  now  provided  by  law  in  relation  to 
elections.  Returns  of  said  election  shall  be 
made  by  the  several  boards  of  election  to  the 
clerk  of  the  county  court  of  Coles  county,  who 
shall  be  goxerned  by  the  general  electioji  law 
then  in  force  in  opening  and  canvassing  the 
same.  The  clerk  of  the  county  court  of  Coles 
county  shall  make  return  of  the  votes  to  Cole- 
man Bright  and  J.  B.  jMcCown  within  six  days 
after  the  same  have  been  canvassed ;  and  the 
said  clerk  shall  also  within  ten  days  make  re- 
turn of  saitl  votes  to  the  secretary  of  state. 

"Sec.  4.  If  it  shall  appear  that  a  majority 
of  all  the  \-()ters  in  said  county  of  Coles  voting 
upon  the  question  have  voted  for  the  creation 
of  the  new  county  of  Douglas,  then,  and  in  that 
case,  there  shall  be  held  a  special  election  in  the 
several  precincts  within  the  limits  in  this  act 
described  for  said  new  county  of  Douglas,  on 
the  second  Monday  in  April  next,  for  county 
officers.  Said  election  shall  be  conducted  by 
the  judges  of  elections  then  holding  office  under 
appointment  in  the  county  (_)f  Coles,  and  at 
the  usual  places  of  holding  elections;  at  whicli 
election  the  qualified  voters  of  the  new  county 
of  Douglas  shall  elect  all  county  officers  for  said 
county,  e.xcei)t  such  as  are  hereafter  e.xcepteil. 
who  shall  be  commissioned  and  qualified  in 
the  same  manner  as  such  officers  are  in  other 
counties  in  the  state,  and  shall  hokl  said  offices 
until  the  next  general  election  for  such  officers, 
and  until  their  succes.sors  are  elected  and  qual- 
ified, and  shall  have  all  the  jurisdiction  and  per- 
form all  the  duties  which  [are]  or  may  be  con- 
ferred upon  or  required  of  like  officers  in  this 


state.  In  case  there  shall  be  portions  of  pre- 
cincts or  election  districts  within  the  boundaries 
of  the  new  county,  then  the  voters  within  the 
same  may,  at  the  first  election  for  county  of- 
ficers, as  herein  provided  for,  vote  within  such 
precinct  or  election  district  as  they  may  deem 
most  convenient  within  said  new  county. 

"Sec.  5.  All  the  justices  of  the  peace,  con- 
stables, or  other  officers  who  have  been  hereto- 
fore elected  and  qualified  in  the  county  of  Coles, 
whose  term  of  office  shall  not  have  expired  at 
the  time  of  said  election,  and  whose  place  of 
residence  shall  be  embraced  within  the  limits 
of  said  county  of  Douglas,  shall  continue  to 
hold  their  said  offices  and  exercise  the  juris- 
diction and  perform  the  duties  thereof  until 
term  of  office  shall  expire  and  their  successors 
sliall  l)e  elected  and  (piahfied. 

"Sec.  6.  For  the  purpose  of  fixing  the  per- 
manent county  seat  of  said  new  county  of 
Douglas,  the  voters  of  said  county  shall,  at  said 
election  of  county  officers,  vote  for  some  j^lace, 
to  be  designated  upon  their  ballots,  for  a  county 
seat:  upon  said  ballots  shall  be  written  or 
printed,  or  partly  written  and  partly  printed, 
'For  county  seat' — after  which  word  shall  be 
written  or  printed  the  name  of  the  place  in- 
tended. The  place  receiving  the  majority  of 
all  the  votes  polled  upon  that  question  shall  be 
the  county  seat  of  the  said  county  of  Douglas ; 
1  lut  i  f  111 )  one  place  shall  receive  a  maji  irity  1  if  all 
the  votes  polled  upon  that  question,  then  it 
shall  be  the  duty  of  the  county  court  of  said 
county  to  call  another  election,  within  sixty 
days  thereafter,  at  the  several  places  of  holding 
elections  in  said  county:  at  which  time  the 
voters  of  said  county  shall  choose  from  the  two 
places  having  the  highest  number  of  votes  at 
the  previous  election,  and  the  place  having  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORIC  \r,.  ig 

majority  of  all  the  vntes  cast  shall  he  the  per-  located,  as  herein  provided,  said  circuit  court 

nianoit  county  seat  of  said  county  of  Douglas,  to  he  holden  at  such  times  as  said  judge  shall 

"Sec.  7.     Notice  of  said  election  for  county  direct,  until  otherwise  provided  hy  law. 
officers  shall  be  given  by  the  clerk  of  the  county  "Sec.   10.     The  scliool  funds  l)elonging  to 
court  of  Coles  conntv.  in  the  same  m.inner  as  (he  .several  townships  embraced  in  the  limits  of 
notices  of  general  elections  are  given  in  other  said  county  of  Douglas  shall  he  paid  .-md  de- 
cases:  wliich  notices  shall  specify  that  a  vote  livered   over  hy   the   school    commissioners   of 
will  be  taken  upon  the  location  of  the  county  the  county  of  Coles  to  the  school  commissioner 
.seat :  and  returns  of  said  election  shall  1k' made  of  the  said  county  of   Douglas  as  soon  as  he 
to  said  clerk  of  said  county  court,  the  same  as  sh;ill  be  elected  and  (|u;dihed. 
is  provided  by  law  in  other  cases.  "Sec.    11.      The   county   coiu't   of  the   said 
"Sec.   (S.      .\11   suits  and   prosecutions   that  county  of  Douglas  may,  at  ;uiy  term  of  said 
have  been,  or  mav  be  commenced  in  said  county  C(au-t,  by  an  onler  to  be  entered  of  record,  .ap- 
of  Coles,  incluiling  .all  proceedings  in  the  county  ]ioint   some  coiupetent  jiersou  a  commissioner 
court  of  said  county  in  luatters  of  prob;ife  be-  fur  the  purpose  hereinafter  expressed,  who  shall 
fore  the  organiz.ation  of  said  count V  of  Doug-  take    an    oath    of    office    before    .some    jjcrsou 
las,  shall  n(jt  be  affecteij  hy  tliis  .act,  but  all  such  authori7.ed  by  law  to  ;idnunister  oaths.     Said 
suits.    i)rosecutious    and    proceedings    shall    be  court  shall,  at  the  s.amc  time,  provide  a  suMi- 
prosecuted  and  conducted  to  their  fin.al  termina-  cicnt   numlier   of   blank   books   and    deliver    to 
tion  in  said  county  of  Coles:  and  the  ofhcers  of  .said   commissioner,   who   shall   receipt    tor   the 
.said  countv  of  Coles  are  hereby  authorized  to  same  to  the  clerk  of  said  county  court. 
execute  all  writs  that  may  be  necessary  for  the  "Sec.    i_'.     As  .soon  as  said  books  shall  be 
completion  of  said  suits,  prosecutions  .and  pro-  delivered  to  said  commissioner,  he  shall  record 
ceedings   within   the   limits  of   said   comity  of  in  eacli  ;i  copy  of  the  order  of  his  appointment. 
Douglas:    and    all    judgments    th.al    m;iy    lia\e  and  of  his  o.ath  of  ofhce,  and  sh:dl  thereupon 
heretofore  or  that   may  hereafter  be  obtained  proceed  to  traiiscribe  into  such  books  .all  such 
under  the  provisions  of  this  section  shall  h;ive  deeds,  mortgages  and  title  pa|>ers  of  every  de- 
the  same  lien  u]>on  all  ])ropertv  within  the  lim-  scrijjtiou,   with  the  certificates  ot  ackuowledg- 
its  of  s.aid  countv  of  Douglas  , as  though  the  .said  ment   thereto,  of  l,aii<ls  l\-ing  in  the  county  of 
territorv  h.ad  not   been  erected   into  .a  separate  Douglas,  which  h.a\e  been  recorded  or  m.ay  be 
^■,,„iitv.  reci)rde<l  hereafter,  before  the  org.ani/.ation  ol 
"Sec.   ().      As   soon    .as    the   county   officers  said  connt\   of  Douglas,  be  reconled  in  the  re- 
shall  h.ave  been  elected  .and   (lualified,  the  s.aid  corder's    office   of    the    said    county    ol    Coles: 
county  of   Douglas  sh.all  be  considered  organ-  and  there  sh.all  be  allowed  him.  the  said  com- 
ized,   and   the  clerk  of    |tliel    circuit   court   of  missioner,   such   sum  as  his  .services  aloresaid 
said    county    sh.all    give    notice   thereof    to    the  are   reason.ably   worth;   to  be  pai<l   out   ol    the 
judge  of  the  fourth  judicial  circuit,  who  shall  cminty  treasury  of  the  county  ol  1  )ouglas. 
hold  court  at  such  places  as  shall  be  designated  ".Sec.    1;,.      When    the    sai.l    couuni.ssiouer 
by  the  county  court,  until   the  county  seat   is  shall  have  completed  his  work  he  shall  m.ake 


30 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


rctuni  of  said  books  to  the  clerk  of  the  circuit 
court  of  said  county  of  Douglas;  and  they  shall 
thereupon  he  taken  and  considered,  to  all  in- 
tents and  purposes,  as  books  of  record  of  deeds, 
inortgac;es  and  title  papers  for  the  county  of 
Douglas;  and  copies  of  said  papers,  certified  by 
the  officer  having  custody  of  said  books,  shall 
be  evidence  in  all  courts  and  places  in  the  same 
maimer  that  copies  of  records  are  evidence  in 
other  cases,  and  with  like  effect. 

"Sec.  14.  The  county  of  Douglas  shall  be 
responsible  for  and  bound  to  pay  one-fourth 
of  the  county  debt  of  the  county  of  Coles,  in- 
curred for  stock  in  the  Terre  Haute  &  Alton 
Railroad  Company,  and  shall  be  entitled  to 
one- fourth  of  the  stock  held  by  said  county  of 
Coles  in  saitl  railroad  company;  and  it  shall  be 
the  duty  of  the  county  court  of  the  county 
of  Douglas,  after  the  ist  of  January,  A.  D. 
i860,  to  pay  the  interest  on  the  bonds  issued 
by  the  county  of  Coles  for  that  purpose,  num- 
bered from  No.  i  to  No.  25,  inclusive,  semi- 
annually, as  the  same  shall  become  due;  and 
also  to  provide  for  and  pay  the  principal  of 
said  bonds,  numbered  as  above,  the  same  being 
one-fourth  of  the  said  debt  of  Coles  county. 

"Sec.  15.  That  the  county  of  Douglas  shall, 
until  otherwise  provided  for  by  law,  at  this  or 
a  subsequent  session,  be  attached  to  and  con- 
stitute a  part  of  the  twenty-fifth  representative 
district,  and  of  the  eighteenth  senatorial  dis- 
trict. 

"Sec.  16.  The  secretary  of  state  shall  forth- 
with furnish  the  clerk  of  the  county  court  of 
the  county  of  Coles  with  a  copy  of  this  act, 
certified  under  the  seal  of  state. 

"Sec.  17.  This  act  to  take  effect  and  be  in 
force  from  and  after  its  passage. 

",\])]irovcd  h'ebruary  8,  1859." 


A  siipplciiiciitary  bill. — This  bill  was  drawn 
up  by  A.  G.  Wallace,  assisted  by  Dr.  McKin- 
ney,  Martin  Rice,  Coleman  Bright,  J.  B.  Mc- 
Cown,  W.  H.  Lamb,  J.  R.  Hammet  and  others. 
In  its  description  of  boundaries,  township  14, 
of  ranges  10,  11  and  14,  were  omitted  in  some 
way,  and  it  soon  appeared  that  the  county  as 
described  in  the  act  did  not  contain  the  required 
area  "of  not  less  than  four  hundred  square 
miles,"  whereupon  a  supplementary  act  was 
asked  for  to  cover  their  deficiency.  The  defect- 
ive bill  had  passed  both  houses  before  this  vital 
error  was  discovered,  and  only  three  days  of 
the  session  remained.  Dr.  J.  W.  McKinney, 
of  Camargo,  at  once  started  for  Springfield, 
wrote  out  a  supplementary  bill  adding  eighteen 
sections  of  land.  This  was  accomplished  be- 
tween ten  and  twelve  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  after  a  deal  of  hard  work  the  bill  was  con- 
sidered in  the  house,  under  a  suspension  of 
the  rules,  and  read  a  second  time  and  passed, 
reported  to  the  senate  and  again  passed,  under 
a  suspension  of  the  rules;  the  bill  was  signed  by 
the  governor  at  four  o'clock  and  the  Doctor, 
with  a  copy  of  it  in  his  possession,  was  on  his 
way  home  by  si.x  o'clck  P.  M.  the  same  day. 
This  bill  also  postponed  the  day  of  election  and 
is  as  follows : 

"Whereas  it  is  represented  that  the  county 
of  Douglas,  as  created  by  the  act  to  which  this 
is  supplementary,  does  not  contain  the  number 
of  square  miles  required  liy  the  constitution ; 
therefore,  in  order  to  perfect  the  same,  and 
that  said  county  may  contain  the  re(|uisite  mnn- 
ber  of  square  miles, 

"Sec  I.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  People  of 
the  State  of  Illinois,  represented  in  the  General 
Assembly,  that  the  folloing  described  territory, 
to  wit:    Sections  one  (1),  two  (2),  three  (3), 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


31 


four  (4),  five  (5),  six  (6).  seven  (7),  eight 
(8),  nine  (9),  ten  (10),  fifteen  (15),  sixteen 
(16),  seventeen  (17),  eighteen  ( 18),  township 
No;  14,  range  No.  10,  and  section  six  (6),  in 
township  No.  14,  range  No.  11,  and  sections 
four  (4).  five  (5)  and  six  (6),  in  townsliip 
No.  14,  range  No.  14  west,  be  and  tlie  same  are 
liereby  declared  to  be  a  part  of  the  county  of 
Douglas,  as  fully  and  completely,  for  all  pur- 
poses whatsoever,  as  if  they  had  been  contained 
within  the  boundaries  set  forth  in  the  act  to 
which  this  act  is  supplementary. 

"Sec.  2.  The  election  retjuired  by  the  act 
to  which  this  is  supplementary,  to  be  held  on 
the  first  Monday  in  March  next,  shall  be  held 
f>n  the  third  Monday  of  March,  in  the  manner 
therein  provided. 

"Sec.  3.  This  act  shall  be  in  force  from  and 
after  its  passage. 

".\ppro\ed  February   16,    1859." 

The  partition  left  the  new  county  with  reg- 
ul.ir  outlines,  save  in  the  southeast  corner, 
where  some  fifteen  s(|uare  miles  of  territory 
was  not  included  to  accommodate  the  citizens 
i)f  Oakland  an  vicinity,  who  ])referre(l  to  re- 
main in  Coles  county,  and  by  this  concession 
the  managers  of  the  partition  secured  their  co- 
operation. As  finally  formed,  Douglas  county 
contained  four  hundred  a:id  eight  sections,  the 
area  amounting  to  between  four  hundred  and 
nine  and  four  humlrt'd  ami  ten  scpiare  miles, 
the  sections  varying  in  this  coniUy  considerably 
in  size,  the  smallest  being  as  low  as  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres,  and  many  running  some- 
what over  one  thousand  acres.  These  and  other 
irregularities  are  occasioned  by  the  inaccuracies 
of  the  government  surveyors,  and  the  practical 
limitations  of  the  system. 

The    new    county    was    now    born    and 


christened,  and  being  admitted,  the  next  thing 
in  this  case  was  to  see  that  she  was  properly 
clothed,  and  to  this  end  the  first  nominating 
convention  for  the  selection  of  county  officers 
was  held  in  a  board  shanty  on  the  McCarty 
farm,  two  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Tu.scola. 
The  men  put  in  nomination  were  .selected  with- 
out regard  to  party,  and  the  officers  wiio  were 
then  elected  were : 

County  judge — James  Ewing,  still  living  in 
Areola,  and  the  associates  were  John  D.  Mur- 
dock,  now  a  large  land  owner  in  Camargo 
township,  who  was  again  elected  in  1861.  Ik- 
filled  the  i)osition  for  .six  years,  and  had  been 
active  in  the  formation  of  the  new  county. 
And  Robert  Hopkins,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Newman  township,  who  was,  at  the  birth  of 
the  new  couiUy.  an  associ;ite  justice  of  Coles. 
Mr.  Hopkins  died  in  the  spring  of  1863.  leaving 
a  large  unincumbered  estate. 

The  first  county  clerk  was  John  Chandler, 
who  was  a  good  officer,  lie  was  re-elected  in 
i86r,  serving  in  all  aboiU  six  vears.  Mr. 
Chandler  was  one  of  the  most  active  in  the 
partition,  and  by  reason  of  a  large  experience 
in  public  business  was  altogether  depended 
upon  for  statistics  in  the  interest  of  the  new 
county.     He  served  in  the  war  with  Mexico. 

The  circuit  clerk  and  recorder,  elected  at 
this  time,  was  .Andrew  (I.  W'all.tce,  who  was 
re-elected  in  i8Ci(),  1864  ;nid  i8()8,  Iiojding  the 
office  by  re-election  for  over  twelve  years.  Mr. 
Wallace  was  one  of  the  first  settlers,  having 
arrived  in  Coles  county  in  1834,  and  was  one  of 
the  first   in  Tuscola,      lie  died   in   Tuscol;i   in 

1877. 

Samuel  H.  Lt)gan  was  the  first  sheriff.  Mr. 
Logan  is  now  a  resident  of  I'oiu'bon,  Illinois, 
and  is  a  large  land  owner.     He  was  a  captain 


32 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL 


in  the  Fifty- fourth  Regiment,  Jlhnois  Vohm- 
tecrs,  in  tlie  war  of  1861. 

The  office  of  assessor  and  treasurer  was 
taken  I)y  William  Hancock,  of  Newman  town- 
shi]).  Mr.  Hancock  was  engaged  in  banking 
in  the  city  of  Newman,  and  was  a  large  farmer 
in  Sargent  township.  He  came  to  this  vicinity 
in  November,  1839. 

The  first  county  surveyor  was  Henry  C. 
Niles,  who  was  re-elected  in  1861  and  again  in 
1 87 1.   Mr.  Niles  came  from  Baltimore  in  1857. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  county  court,  as 
it  was  called,  was  held  in  Camargo,  so  that  the 
minds  of  the  people  might  not  be  prejudiced 
as  between  Areola  and  Tuscola. 

The  selection  of  the  county  seat,  as  was  to 
iiave  been  expected,  was  the  occasion  of  nnich 
excitement.  The  cities  of  Tuscola  and  Areola, 
from  their  comparatively  central  position,  and 
both  being  situated  on  the  only  railroad  in  the 
county,  were  the  leading  contesting  points. 
The  village  of  Camargo  had  claims  to  the  honor 
which  were  strongly  advocated,  and  the  well 
known  Hackett's  Grove,  not  far  north  of  the 
geographical  centre  of  the  county,  was  also 
talked  of.  The  aspiring  embryo  cities  of  Tus- 
cola and  Areola,  at  the  first  election,  ^xjUed 
probably  ten  times  their  legal  vote,  and  the 
count  in  these  two  places  being  so  glaringly 
].)reposterons.  neither  was  considered  at  this 
time,  and  the  unwritten  history  of  this  canvass 
for  county  seat  will  probalily  remain  unwritten 
during  the  present  generation.  At  this  first 
meeting"  of  the  county  court — a  special  term — 
April  28,  1859,  it  was  ordered  that  a  special 
election  be  held  May  30,  1859,  to  choose  a 
county  seat  as  between  the  two  rival  towns, 
which  election  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Tus- 
cola. 


Camargo  was  made  county  seat  pro  tcin, 
and  Mr.  W.  H.  Lamb  was  appointed  commis- 
sioner to  transfer  from  Coles  county  records 
those  necessarily  belonging  to  Douglas.  Mr. 
Lamb  had  arrived  in  Camargo  in  1853;  was  a 
merchant  there  until  1862,  when  he  became 
adjutant  of  the  Seventy-ninth  Illinois  Volun- 
teers in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  He  was 
elected  county  clerk,  or  clerk  of  the  county 
court,  in  1865,  and  at  the  expiration  of  his  term 
accepted  the  cashiership  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Tuscola,  but  now  resides  in  Santiago, 
Califcjrnia. 

The  people  having,  at  an  election  held  in 
Xoveml)er,  1867,  decided  to  adopt  township 
rjrganization,  Lucius  McAllister,  of  Areola,  Jos. 
B.  McCown,  of  Camargo,  and  Henry  B.  Evans, 
of  Tuscola,  were  appointed  Commissioners  to 
divide  the  county  into  townships,  wdiich  duty 
they  performed  by  making  the  sub-divisions  as 
they  now  stand.  Jos.  B.  McCown  served  hon- 
ouably  in  the  war  with  Jvlexico,  as  also  in  the 
Civil  war  of  1861,  when  he  was  colonel  of  the 
Sixty-third  Illinois  Infantr)-.  Col.  McCown 
stood  high  in  the  estimation  of  the  people  antl 
CDUsequentlv  exercised  considerable  influence  in 
politics  antl  public  business  generally.  He  pos- 
sessed all  the  attributes  of  good  citizenship,  and 
his  death,  November  21,  1869,  was  nnich  la- 
mented. 

H.  B.  Evans  was  elected  assessor  and  treas- 
urer in  1865  and  re-elected  in  1867;  as  assistant 
Ihiited  States  marshal  in  1870  he  ]M-(icured 
the  Douglas  county  data  for  the  ninth  census, 
and  was  postmaster  of  Tuscola  for  a  number 
of  years. 

The  first  meeting, under  tnwnship  organiza- 
tion, of  the  board  of  supervisors,  was  held  in 
Tuscola,  on  Monday,  May  11,   1868,  and  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   IIlSTORICAr. 


supervisors  were :  Caleb  Garrett,  of  Garrett ; 
Lemuel  Chandler,  of  Bourbon;  Asa  T.  Whit- 
ney, of  Areola;  Oliver  C.  Hackett,  of  Tuscola; 
(leo.  W.  Henson,  of  Camargo;  Benjamin  W'. 
llooe,  of  Newman;  Isaac  W.  Bnrget,  of  Sar- 
gent, and  Benjamin  Bowdre,  of  "Deer  Creek" 
townshij),  but  upon  1)eing  informed  Ijy  the  state 
auditor  that  there  was  a  "Deer  Creek"  township 
in  Tazewell  county,  the  name  was  changed  to 
"])Owdre,"  in  honor  of  its  first  representative. 

In  September,  the  same  year,  a  petition  to 
the  board  of  supervisors  was  circulated,  to 
which  a  great  many  signatures  Iiad  been  ob- 
tained, wherein  the  petitioners  endeavored  to 
show  their  belief  that  a  majority  of  the  voters 
of  the  county  desired  the  abolition  of  township 
organization. 

Camargo  township  \\as  formerly  called  Al- 
bany precinct,  Newman  was  once  Brushy  Fork, 
Garrett  township  was  a  part  of  Bourbon,  Bour- 
bon was  once  North  Okaw,  Bowdre,  once 
called  Deer  Creek,  was  a  i)art  of  Collins  pre- 
cinct, and  Sargent  belonged  to  Oakland  pre- 
cinct. 

Joseph  G.  Cannon  came  to  Tuscola  in  1859, 
the  \-ear  of  the  new  county;  was  ck'clcd  state's 
attorney  in  iSOi  and  again  in  1X04.  lie  was 
elected  to  congress  in  iNjj  and  is  tlieie  now. 
1  le  resides  in  l)an\ille. 

The  lirst  session  of  circuit  court  was  held 
in  the  tluni  jnsl  riiiisjicd  dcpol  building  ol  the 
llliu(  >is  ( 'entral  Railri  lad.  and  tin-  fu^l  ci\  il  case- 
on  the  cloeket  was  llnlloii  \  s,  l\.  I'..  Johusou, 
default  ol  ilefendant  and  judguieul  lor  three 
dollars  and  twenty  cents.  This  was  an  appeal 
from  Dr.  J.  T.  Johnson,  a  magistrate  in  the  vil- 


lage of  Bouron.      Dr 


nson  removed  from 


Bourbon  to  a  point  south  of  .\ewman,  and  after 
a  few  vears  went  west. 


Afterward  ct)urt  was  held  over  J.  M.  Maris' 
store,  on  northeast  corner  (_)f  Parke  and 
Sale  streets,  in  which  building  Mr.  Wallace  had 
his  office  as  recorder;  at  that  time  this  was  the 
largest  a\'ailable  room  in  Tuscola,  and  after 
that,  until  tlie  ])resent  iiermanent  C(.)urt  house 
was  built,  in  the  large  two-story  wooden  build- 
ing which  stands  opposite  the  court  house  em 
the  north,  judge  llarlan  presided  and  heard 
all  cases,  whilst  busily  engJiged  in  carving  cur- 
ious toys  from  soft  wot)d,  a  habit  he  rarely 
laid  aside  during  business  hours. 

For  a  while  the  county  clerk's  oflice  was 
in  the  east  end  of  the  hotel,  burned  in  1864, 
which  occupied  the  site  of  the  ".Stanley 
House."  The  ori.ginal  liotel  was  l)nilt  by  the 
Town  Comp.any,  and  tjiere  seems  to  Ije  good 
authority  for  the  statement  that  the  Illinois 
Central  Raih-oad  Company  had  agreed  to  put 
the  depeit  about  opposite  the  site  of  the  court 
house,  sa\-  Houghton  street,  but  under  a  mis- 
take of  the  person  in  ch.arge,  it  got  its  present 
location. 

The  court  house  was  lieguu  under  the  ad- 
ministration, as  a  comity  coiu't,  in  iSf)4,  of 
Judge  h'rancis  (.'.  Mullen,  of  Garrt'lt  town- 
sliip,  assisted  by  John  J).  Murdock,  of  Camar- 
go, and  C  aleb  Hales,  ol  r)Oin'l)on,  ;is  associates. 
Jud.ge  Mullen  was  the  second  county  judge  of 
I  )ouglas  county;  was  born  in  I  )elaw'are  amP 
came  to  (iairett  towiishi])  in  1850.  Mr.  Hales 
was  elected  in  1  S(  1 1  associate  ju.stici',  .and  in 
iXj-j  repre>euled  his  township  as  supei\  isor. 

The  court  house  was  a  brick  building  ol 
Iwii  stories  au<l  hasemeiU,  and  contained  the 
iail  and  living  rooms  for  the  sheriff  or  jailer. 
It  was  situated  in  Pluck  "C,"  a  roomy  enough 
plat  of  ground.  _'i6.\-_?20,  in  about  the  centre  of 
Tuscola.     The  plat  was  deeded  to  the  county 


34 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


by  the  original  Town  Company  for  tlie  consid- 
eration "that  a  court  house  of  a  substantial 
character  should  be  erected  upon  it  within  four 
years  from  March  7,  1864.  The  grounds  to 
be  used  exclusively  for  county  buildings,  and 
also  conditioned  that  when  it  ceased  to  be  used 
for  such  purposes  it  should  revert  to  the  grant- 
ors." 

The  architect  of  the  building  was  O.  L. 
Kinney,  of  Chicago.  The  original  accepted 
bid  for  the  masonry  was  fifteen  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  the  carpenter  work  was  offered  for 
seven  thousand  and  seven  hundred  dollars.  The 
contractors  for  the  masonry  failed  to  perform 
their  agreement,  even  after  two  or  three  exten- 
sions of  time,  and  an  advance  of  twenty  per 
cent,  on  their  contract,  which  advance  was  also 
made  to  the  carpenter.  The  county  board 
finally  took  charge  of  the  work  and  in  conjunc- 
tion with  Mr.  J.  M.  Smith,  of  Tuscola,  era- 
ploved  the  same  builders  and  others,  and 
brought  the  work  to  a  conclusion.  The  entire 
original  cost  of  the  building  and  furniture  was 
forty-two  thousand  dollars,  the  painting,  glaz- 
ing and  iron  not  having  been  included  in  any  of 
the  bids. 

County  Officers  of  Dougl.^s  County  from 
ITS  ()kg.\nization  in  1859. 

COUNTY  CI.KRKS. 

J(.ilin  I'li.-indler,  elected  A])ri1,  [i<^t);  re- 
elected 1861. 

William  11.  Lamb,  elected  .November,  1865. 

John  C.  rarcel,  elected  Noveniber,   1869. 

Daniel  O.  Root,  elected  November,   1873. 

D.  A.  Conover,  November,  1880,  died  in 
office  February  2,  1899. 

Iv  W.  Jeffers,  appointed,  and  is  the  present 
incumlient. 


CIRCUIT  CLERK  AND  RECORDER. 

A.  G.  Wallace,  elected  April,  1859. 
P.  C.  Sloan,  elected  November,  1872. 
John  N.  Outcelt,  elected  November,  1882. 
R.  F.  Helm,  elected  November,  1886. 
J.  W.  King,  elected  in  1890. 
C.  A.  Hawkins,  elected  in  1898,  the  present 
incumbent. 

ASSESSOR   AND  TREASURER. 

William  Hancock,  elected  April,  1859. 

George  W.  Flynn,  elected  November,  1861. 

V.  C.  McNeer,  elected  November,  1863. 

Henry  B.  Evans,  elected  Novemlier,  1S65; 
re-elected  November,  1867. 

After  township  organization  the  office  was 
called  collector  and  treasurer. 

COLLECTOR  AND  TREASURER. 

James  T.  Walker,  elected  November,  1869; 
re-elected  Noveml)er,  1871. 

James  M.  Cox,  elected  November,  1873. 
Henry    R.   Ingraham,  elected    November, 

1875- 

Lines  L.  Parker,  elected  1879. 

T.  S.  Wyeth,  elected  1886. 

L.  E.  lioot,  elected  1890. 

James  Jones,  elected  1894. 

Henrv  C.   Ti)nes,  elected   1898,  the  jiresent 

incumbent. 

SHERIFF. 

Samuel  P..  Logan,  elected  April,  1859. 
Parmenas      Watson,     elected      November, 
i860. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORlCAI.. 


35 


William    T.    French,    elected    November, 


1862. 


iJ 


Isaac  L.  Jordon,  elected  November,  1864. 

Henry  C.  Carico,  elected  November,  1866. 

N.  Rice  Gruelle,  elected  November,  1868. 

Newton  I.  Cooper,  elected  November,  1870. 

James  H.  Sliawlian,  elected  November, 
1871. 

Francis  G.  Cunningham,  elected  November, 
1872;  re-elected  November,  1874;  re-elected  in 
1876,  and  died  in  office. 

Col.  Wesford  Taggart,  elected  1880. 

T.  S.  Wyeth,  elected  1886. 

John  L.  Gof¥,  elected  1890. 

J.  C.  Cutler,  elected  1894. 

F.  1).  Eagley,  elected  189S,  died  in  olTice 
May  20,  1898.  i<.  T.  Spies,  RI.  J).,  then  cor- 
oner, served  out  Bagley's  time  until  the  ne.xt 
general  election. 

C.  A.  Moon,  elected  1898,  the  present,  in- 
cumbent. 

sltpekin'1'I';ni)f.nt  .schools. 

Wm.  II.  Sipple,  elected  A])ril,  1859. 
S.  S.  Irwin,  elected  November,   1861. 
J.  1"" rank  Lamb,  elected  November,  i86_5. 
W.  \V.  iMonroe,  elected  X<i\ember,  ]H(>^. 
Sanniel    T.   Callaway,  elected    November, 
1869;  re-elected  November,  1873. 

C.    W  .    W'lioKerlon,   appointed    .September, 

J.  W.  King,  elected  i\'c  >vembei-,  1875.  Mr. 
King  resigned  to  accei)t  post  ollice  ai>poiiit- 
nient  at  Newman  and  was  succeeiled  by  ap- 
pointment of  F.  \-l.  A.  Starr. 

Josei)h  R.  Eurres  served  from  1882  to  (886. 

Nora  Smith,  i8()4. 

Mamie  Bunch,  1898. 


Thomas  M.  Wells,  a  most  worthy  young 
man,  who  was  elected  by  an  overwhelming  vote 
in  1898,  and  was  killed  in  a  railroad  wreck 
two  weeks  after  being  sworn  int(.i  office. 

On  March  (j,  iX()i),  lilanche  Crn-away  was 
appoinlrd  and   is  the  present  incumbent. 

COUNTY    SUKVEYOR. 

Henry  C.  Niles,  elected  April,  1859,  ^'^' 
elected  November,  1861. 

Issachar  Davis,  elected  November,  1863. 

Enos  C.  Siler,  elected  November,  1865. 

Issachar  JXavis,  elected  November,  1867. 

Edmund  ImsIi,  elected  November,   1869. 

I  lenry  C.  Xiles,  elected  November,  1871. 

Jssachar  i  )avis,  elected  November,  1^75. 

II.  C.   .\'iles,  elected   1883. 

Win.  I''..  I'rice  was  elected  in  icS,S3  and  is 
the  jiresent  incumbent. 

MAS'ri-.i^    IX    CTTANCI'.KV. 

Andrew  J.  Wallace,  1859  to  ;88o,  and  was 
also  Circuit  ( 'lerk  during  the  time,  .\fler  his 
death,  in  1880,  .\.  ]'..  I'owell  served  six  months, 
when,  in  18S1,  II.  C.  Niles  was  ai)])oiuted  and 
has  since  lilled  that  office  .satisfactorily. 

Sxslciii  of  surreys. — To  nuc  not  informed 
in  regard  to  the  iirinciples  nf  the  gnsernment 
snr\-e\-,  the  map  of  hnuglas  cnnnly  ]>reseuts  a 
l;("hI  UKinv  difliculties,  and  it  may  nut  be  un 
])|-(iritable  111  (le\i>te  ;i  l>age  {'>  this  subject.  The 
rectaugnl.ar  sy>lem  ;idMpted  by  the  I'mleil 
Slates  is  peculiar  to  the  i)ublic  lauds  i>i  the  gov- 
ernment, and  was  de\ised  for  the  old  .North- 
west. I\Ieri(lian  lines  running  due  north  from 
the  mouth  of  some  river  are  first  established. 
These  are  intersected  at  right  angles  by  a  base 


36 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


line,  rimnini^-  east  and  west,  and  arbitrarily  lo- 
cated.   The  meridian  lines  are  known  as  "prin- 
cipal meridians,"  the  first  one  being  a  line  run- 
ning due  north  from  the  mouth  of  the  Miami 
river,  and  forming  the  east   line  of  Indiana. 
The  second  principal  meridian  is  a  line  running- 
due  north  from  the  Little  Blue  river,  eighty- 
nine  miles  west  of  the  former,  and  near  the  cen- 
tral [)art  of  the  state  of  Indiana.     The  third 
principal  meridian  is  a  line  running  due  north 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  river,  and  the 
fourth  principal  meridian  is  a  line  running  due 
north    from   the  mouth   of  the   Illinois   river. 
The  base  line  from  which  the  survey  of  Indiana 
was  projected,  and  all  of  Illinois  east  of  the 
Illinois    river,  crosses    the    state    in    latitude 
thirty-eight  degrees  and  thirty  minutes.    With 
these  principal  lines  established,  the  surveyors 
began  at  the  intersection  of  the  base  line  and 
a  principal  meridian  line,  and  projected  merid- 
ian lines,  at  intervals  of  one  mile,  parallel  with 
the    principal    one,  working    eastwardly    and 
westwardly  from  a  given  "i)rincipal  meridian." 
Lines  at  right  angles  to  these  were  run  in  sim- 
ilar manner,  working  northwardly  and  south- 
wardly from  the  base  line.      In  running  the 
north  and  sduth  lines,  owing  to  the  shape  of 
the  earth,  these  are  found  to  converge,  and  sul)- 
liase    lines    were    established    at    intervals    of 
twenty-four  miles  north  of  the  base  line  and 
thirty  miles  below  it,  from  which  the  line  was 
l)egun  afresh  alter  accurate  nieasiu'ements  east 
and    west   were  obtained.      At   each   of   these 
■'Correction  lines"  a  jog  in  the  meridian-parallels 
will  be  observed,  which  shows  the  error  due  to 
convergence  of  lines.    These  jogs  are  known  to 
surveyors  as  "fallings,"  i.  e.,  falling  to  the  right 
or  left  of  the  true  corner,  at  the  end  of  the 
line  run.     In  surveying  east  and  west  from  the 


several  established  principal  meridians  another 
"fault"  is  found  in  actual  practice.  The  dis- 
tance between  these  principal  meridians  is  such 
as  to  leave  a  narrow  strip  of  land  between  the 
survey  proceeding  west  (for  example)  from  the 
third  and  east  from  the  fourth  principal  merid- 
ian, and  the  east  and  west  lines  from  either 
meridian  are  not  found  to  exactly  coincide  at 
the  meeting  point. 

In  actual  surveying  the  first  lines  were 
run  each  way  at  intervals  of  six  miles,  dividing 
the  country  into  "congressional  townships." 
These  townships  were  subsequently  subdivided 
into  sections  by  lines  at  an  interval  oi  one  mile 
by  other  surveyors,  the  law  making  it  illegal 
for  the  same  svu'veyor  to  run  both  sets  of  lines, 
so  that  one  might  be  a  check  upon  the  errors  of 
the  other.  The  land  was  first  offered  for  sale 
by  sections,  but  this  was  found  to  work  disad- 
vantageously  to  settlers,  and  these  sections, 
containing  six  hundred  and  forty  acres,  were 
subdivided  into  halves  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  and  quarters  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  each,  which  last  were  again  subdi- 
vided in  halves  of  eighty  acres,  and  quarters 
of  forty  acres  each.  "Fractions"  are  parts  of 
sections  intersected  by  rivers,  or  confirmed 
claims  or  reservations,  and  are  of  various  sizes. 
The  sections  of  a  township  are  designated  by 
numbers,  beginning  with  the  northeast  corner 
and  following  in  regular  order  to  the  west  side, 
the  second  tier  of  sections  Iieginniiig  on  the 
west  side  of  the  township  and  proceeding  east, 
using  the  numbers  from  one  to  thirty-six  in- 
clusive. 

Townships  are  designated  by  numerals  in- 
creasing north  and  .south  from  the  base  line, 
and  are  still  further  defined  by  ranges  num- 
bered east  and   west  from  the  principal  me- 


r.lOCRAl'FllfAL   AXD    1 1 ISTORICAF.. 


Z7 


ridian,  and  both  are  rcfitiired  to<;cflier  witli  tlie  g  west  and   ir  east,  tlic  last  bein.^;-  fractional, 

furtlier  description  of  nortli  or  south,  and  east  .\ortIi  of  the  Illinois  river  the  rang-es  are  niini- 

or  west  to  accurately  locate  it.  hered  east    fi-oni  the  fourth  ])rincipal  meridian 

The  sin-\ey  of  Illinois  was  ni.ide  from  n|)  to  the  third  ])rinci]>;il  meridian, 
about  iSi-'  to  i8_'4,  and  presents  .some  cxcep-  In  l)ou^las  counly  the  peculiarities  of  the 
lions  to  the  above  rules.  South  of  the  base  line  survey  are  nearly  all  exemplified.  The  joj;-  or 
both  lo\vnshii)s  and  ran.L;es  are  regular,  and  "falliui;"  in  Newman  and  ("larrett  to\vnshi]is 
north  of  it.  to  the  southern  liound.iry  of  town-  shows  the  ])resencr  of  the  correction  line;  rans^e 
ship  ,^i.  east  of  the  Illinois  ri\er.  .\  portion  of  i  i  e;is1.  in  .\e\\ni;m  and  in  Sargent  townships, 
the  state,  east  of  a  line  runnin<4- due  north  froiu  shows  the  result  of  the  inilcpcndent  surveys, 
the  mouth  of  the  W'abasli  river  fo  the  southern  eastward  from  the  third  ])rincii)al  meridian  and 
line  of  towiishi|)  31  north,  was  sur\eyed  west  westward  from  the  second  ])rincipal  meridian. 
fi-dUi  the  second  princi])al  meridian.  ;ind  r.-mi^'es  and  in  r;m,ge  n  cast,  the  southern  line  of  town- 
are  numbered  westward  as  high  as  fourteen;  shii)  15  north  shows  the  slight  variation  in  the 
the  ranges  eastward  from  the  third  principal  east  and  west  lines  of  the  two  surveys.  The 
meridian  reaching  number  eleven,  the  last  one  long  sections  in  the  north  tier  of  townshi])  15, 
consisting  of  hut  a  single  section  in  widtli.  clear  through  Douglas  comity,  were  the  re- 
.\bo\-e  townsliip  30,  llie  ranges  extend  east  suit  of  the  arbitrary  placing  of  the  correction 
from  the  fourth  ])rincipal  meridian  to  tlie  cast-  line:  the  townshi])  sur\eyor.  having  found  the 
ern  line  of  the  state,  and  reach  the  number  of  extra  hali'-mile  on  closing  on  his  standard  or 
sixteen.  \\'est  of  tlie  tbiril  priiicip;d  meridian  correction  line,  threw  it  into  lots  and  so  re- 
llie  r.nnges  run  rcgnl;irlv  til  till'  Mississi])i)i  and  corded  it.  .M;my  ci  mtradictions  between  the 
Illinois  ri\-ers  so  far  north  as  the  ])iiint  where  record  and  actual  measurement  are  found,  but 
the  third  principal  mei-idian  crosses  the  Illinois  the  rule  is  establisheil  that  where  the  original 
river,  where  the  ranges  west  cease.  The  town-  corners  can  be  found  they  are  imalterable.  and 
ships  are  regular,  extending  south  to  number  remain  under  the  law  as  the  true  corners  they 
iCi.  and  niirtli  to  number  .\(\  North  of  town-  were  intended  to  re]iresent.  even  though  not 
ship  :;.^  north,  the  towiishi])s  on  tlie  east  side  exactly  where  strict  ])rofessional  care  nu'ght 
of  the  third  ]>riiici])al  meridian  only  ])roceed  h.ive  placed  them  in  the  lirst  instance.  IMissing 
regularly.  That  ])art  of  the  sl.ite  lying  west  of  corners  must  be  re-established  in  the  identical 
the  Illinois  ri\er.  and  north  of  the  Illinois  ri\er  localities  they  origin;illy  oc<-upied.  and  when  the 
and  west  of  the  third  ])rinci])al  meridi.an.  is  sjHit  cannot  be  (k-turmined  by  existing  land- 
surveved  fnnu  the  t'ourth  iirinci])al  meridian,  marks  in  the  field,  resort  must  lie  hafl  to  the 
The  base  line  fur  this  snrwy  is  a  line  running  field  notes  of  the  original  survey.  The  history 
due  west  from  the  point  wliere  the  third  jirin-  of  the  first  sur\ey  of  Douglas  county  is  not 
cip.'d  meridian  crosses  the  Illinois  river  and  complete,  but  township  \().  range  8,  was  sur- 
passes just  south  of  I'eardstown.  The  town-  \eyed  by  John  Alessinger,  Ajiril.  1821;  town- 
ships extend  south  from  this  line  to  number  14.  ship  15,  range  9.  by  W.  L.  May,  in  May,  iSji  ; 
and  north  to  number  29.     The  r.uiges  number  lown.shi])s  14  and  15,  in  range  8.  by  C.  iMcK. 


BIOGRAI'HICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


llanitraiick.wlii)  sulKlivitled  townsliip  15, range 
9,  into  sections  in  June,  1821. 

Topography  and  geology. — Douglas  county 
lies  about  midway  between  tlie  nortb  and  south 
limits  in  eastern  Illinois.  It  is  bounded  on  the 
north  bv  Chanii)aign.  on  the  east  by  Edgar, 
on  the  south  by  Coles  and  on  the  west  by  Moul- 
trie and  Piatt.  It  lies  on  the  divide  between  the 
bydrographic  basins  of  the  AValiash  and  Kas- 
kaskia  rivers,  sending  its  surface  drainage 
through  the  Embarrass  to  the  one  and  through 
the  Okaw  to  the  other.  The  Eml^arrass,  pop- 
ularly pronounced  "Ambraw"  through  a  cor- 
ruption of  the  French,  takes  its  rise  near  To- 
loini,  in  Champaign  county,  and.  flowing  south- 
easterly through  this  county,  proceeds  in  its 
meanderings  some  ninety  miles  liefore  it  reaches 
the  Wabash  in  Lawrence  county.  It  was 
marked  b'ox  rixer  in  the  government  surxey. 
but  the  French  name  seems  to  have  outlived 
it.  It  is  said  that  this  name  had  its  origin  with 
the  original  settlers  at  Vincennes,  who  found 
the  marshy  margins  of  that  river  in  that  region 
a  great  embarrassment  to  early  travel.  The 
Okaw  is  the  head  waters  of  the  Kaskaskia,  and 
rises  in  Champaign  county.  Flowing  nearly 
a  direct  south  course,  it  passes  through  Garrett 
and  l-)om"bon  townsbi])S,  ;uid  thence  sonth- 
westerlv  to  the  Mississipi)i  river  in  Randoli)h 
county,  after  a  meandering  course  of  lliree 
hundred  miles.  The  regular  tribnt-aries  to  these 
streams  are  few,  the  Embarrass  receiving  the 
r>rushv  l'"ork  from  the  northeast,  a  small  creek 
draining  the  southeast  corner  of  Newman  and 
the  northwest  corner  of  Sargent  town.ships ; 
Deer  Creek,  a  prairie  creek  flowing  nearly  di- 
rectly east,  and  joining  the  main  stream  on  the 
line  of  section  33.  in  Sargent  town.ship;  and 
Scattering  Fork,  a  trilmtary  which  divides  into 


three  branches,  which  extend  through  Tuscola 
township,  about  a  mile  apart,  and  traverse  the 
township  in  a  southeasterly  direction.  The 
tributaries  of  the  Okaw  are  all  on  the  west  side 
of  the  rixer  in  tliis  county,  and  all  have  a  south- 
easterly course.  There  are  three  only,  Dry 
b'ork,  Lake  Fork  and  Big  Slough,  joining  the 
main  stream  at  points  about  five  miles  apart, 
and  are  characteristically  named. 

The  whole  area  of  the  county  is  covered  so 
deeply  witli  drift  clays  that  there  is  no  outcrop 
of  the  underlying  coal  measure  strata.  From 
the  exposures  in  the  adjoining  counties,  it  is 
known  that  the  underl\-ing  lieds  belong  to  the 
upper  coal  measures,  and  prol)ably  include  two 
or  three  of  tlie  u]i])cr  coals,  but  the  extent  to 
which  they  are  dcx-elope<l  here  can  onlv  be 
determined  xxilh  the  drill.  It  is  not  probable 
that  any  he;i\y  bed  of  coal  will  be  fomid  short 
ot  six  hundred  or  eight  hundred  feet  from  the 
surface,  though  one  of  the  upper  seams,  two 
or  three  feet  thick,  might  be  found  at  a  mod- 
erate depth.  The  drift  clays  are  found  here  at 
nearly  th.eir  maximum  thickness,  but  only  the 
upper  part  of  this  deposit  is  to  be  seen  in  the 
natural  outcrops  in  the  bluffs  of  the  streams. 
Bowlders  are  rarely  found  of  any  great  size 
in  llie  countx',  and  in  manv  p.nrts  thev  are  un- 
known. Tn  other  sections,  however,  there  are 
enougli,  weighing"  from  one  to  five  hundred 
])onnds,  to  add  some  difficulty  to  the  tilling  of 
the  soil.  The  largest  specimen  of  this  rock 
stands  in  the  southeast  corner  of  section  28, 
township  16,  range  7.  It  protrudes  consider- 
alily  abox'e  the  ground,  showing"  some  one 
thousand  cubic  feet.  Water  is  generally  ob- 
tained of  fair  f|ua]ity  at  a  depth  of  twenty 
or  thirty  feet.  Upon  section  33,  town- 
ship 16,  range  (),  in  Camargo  toxvnship,  is  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL   AN))    1 1 ISTOKK' \l.. 


39 


fine  fdiiiilain  of  Ii\iiin-  water,  widely  known  as  he  paid  o\er  to  tlie  slate  wlierein  said  land  is 

"Patterson's  Spring;"  a  similar  one  near  the  situated:  and  when  the  lands  have  been  located 

Okaw  on  section   14,  townshij)  16,  range  7,  is  liy    wai-rant    or   scrip,    the   said   state   shall    he 

called  the  "Sulphur  Spring,"  and  another  is  in  authorized  to  locate  a  like  (|nantity  of  any  puh- 

Ilackett's  Grove,  section  31,  township  if),  range  lie  lands,   subject   to  entry,  .at  one  dollar  and 

(,),  the  overriow  of  which  linally  reaches  the  Km-  twenly-fnx'  cents  |)er  .acre  or  less,  and  ])ateuts 

b.irrass,  through  Scattering  I'ork.     The  soil  is  sh.all    issue    therefor."       I!\'    ;ui    act    ;ippro\-ed 

ni.ainly  a  deep,  black,  vegetable  mold,  character-  Mai-ch  3.  1X57.  "all  Lands  selected  and  re])orted 

islic  of  the  [ir.airie  lands  throughout  the  central  in    ihe   gener.al    Land    ol'licc."    under   the   ,abo\e 

]Mir(ii]ns  of  the  state.     (  )n  the  timber  lands  the  recited    laws,    were    "cdulirmed    to   said    stales 

soil  is  a  light  grayish  clay,  r.ather  hettei"  adapted  iespecli\c'l\-  so   f,nr  .as  the  s.ame  rem.ained   va- 

to  wheat  growing  than  the  prairie  soil.  caul,   un.appmpri.aled   .and    nol   interfered   with 

77/1'  szi'aiiip  lands. — Dougi.as  county  is  sit-  by  .an  .actual  setllement  under  any  Law  of  the 

uafed  on  the  ( ir.and    i'rairie,  and   is  generally  I'uiled  .St.ates." 

a  low,  level  tr.act  of  country.     This  fact  greatly  Under  the  ;ic(  of  1S55,  indemnitv  for  Lands 

relardeil  its  early  settlement,  ;is  .a  Large  propor-  disiiosed  of  by  the   ITnited  States  on  scri])  or 

lion  of  its  area  was  co\ei"ed  with  w.aler  iluring  w.iri'.aul  w.as  sought  to  he  secured  out  of  Lands 

certain  iiorlions  of  the  }e.ar.     ( 'ulliwalion  b.as  dulside  of  the  st.ate  limits,  but  the  interior  ile- 

doue  much  to  reme(ly  ibis  e\il,  hut  the  t.ask  of  parlment    decided     (  bebru.arv    5,     iS^jfi)     tli.al 

dr.aining  so  large  .an  are.a,  where  but  lew  good  '"micIi  iudennn't\-  unist  be  limited  to  the  stale  in 

n.atur.al   outlets   exist,   has   been   a   slow    work,  which    the    origin;d    selections    were    situated. 

In   addition   to   this  gener.al   cb.ar.ac-ter  of   this  ;,n(l  .as  there  .are  no  ])ublic  Lands  in  Illinois  with 

legion,  there  was  a  large  .area  in  the  county,  as  which  to  satisfv  such  .awards,  if  ui.adc,  this  of- 

well  as  throughout  the  central   portion  of  the  fice  declines  to  lake  cases  as  the  one  in  c|ucs- 

state,  of  sw.amp  or  o\'erllowed  Lauds.     On  the  tidu   into  cnusider.ation."    On  April    u,    i88r, 

2Sth  of  Sei)temlier,   1850,  the  gener.al  go\ern-  ilie  dep.artuieut  remlered  .a  decision  to  the  effect 

meut  granleil   to  the  se\er.al   sl.ates   the  whole  lii.al    "ilie    right    <d"    indemnitv    under   existing 

of  these  Lands,  "m.ade  unlit  theia'b\'  inv  culti\.a-  Laws  goes  onK'  to  s.ales  m.adi'  prioi'  to   M.aridi 

lion,  and  rem.aining  unsold"  on  or  alter  that  ;.  1837;  fir  sales  suliseipienl  to  this  lattia"  date 

(Late.     On  M.arch  2,   1855,  "An  .act   lor  the  re  r.i  ■  indi'mnil\' is  now  jirox  ided."     Anc  itber  (|ues- 

lief  of  purchasers  .and  Ln-.-ipirs  of  swamp  and  lion  .arisiniv  under  ihese  ads,  in  which    I  )oug- 

o\'erlloweil  lands,"  ])ro\ided  upon  pi'oof  by  the  las  counlw  with  ct'rt.ain  others,  h.as  .a  ]ieiaili.ar 

authorized  agent  of  the  st.ate,  before  the  com-  interest,  relates  to  the  origin.al  gr.anl  to  the  llli 

inissioner  of  the  gener.al  Land  ollice,  th.il  any  uois  Central   R.ailw.av  Conip.any.     These  lands 

of  the  Lands  purch.ase<l  b\'  .any  person  Irom  the  were  granted  Iw  the  gener.al  government  by  .an 

L'nite<l  St.ates,  ])rior  to  the  p.ass.age  of  this  act  .act  .appro\ed    M.arch    jo.    1850,   .and   con\-eved 

(March   2,    1855),   were   sw.amp   Lands   wa'thin  e\  cry  alternate  section,  designaied  by  e\'en  num- 

thc  true  intent  and  meaning  of  the  act  of  Sep-  hers,  for  six  sections  in  width  on  each  side  of 

leinber  28,    1850,   "the  purchase  money  shall  the  road.     .\|)plicalions  for  indemnily  for  cer- 


40 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


tain  lands  williin  tlie  six  miles  limit  of  this 
grant  were  denied  hy  the  depruiment  in  Novem- 
l>cr,  1855.  ""  ^'i*^'  .ground  "lliat  llinsc  lands 
wliirli  had  licen  remoxed  hv  the  president  nnder 
the  act  (il  Sepleniher  jo,  1S50.  did  nul  ])ass  tf) 
the  state  hy  x'irtue  of  the  swamp  land  aet." 
This  decision  has  heen  repeatedly  re-atYirmed, 
anfl  as  late  as  1881  efforts  ai^e  Ijeing  made  to 
set  aside  the  effect  of  these  several  deeisi<ins 
hy  congressional  action,  and  nntil  such  remedial 
legislation  is  accomplished.  Tnscola  and  Ar- 
eola townships  will  not  he  ahle  to  recover  any 
indemnity  for  swamp  lands. 

It  will  l)e  ol)served  that  under  existing  laws 
and  decisions  of  the  department  of  the  interior, 
only  the  cash  indemnity  is  availahle  to  Illinois 
claimants,  and  that  only  on  lands  erroneously 
disposed  of  h_v  the  United  States  hetween  Sep- 
temher  20,  1850,  and  March  3,  1837.  In  most 
of  the  counties  in  Illinois,  the  original  selec- 
tions of  swamp  lands  were  incomplete,  for  the 
reason  that  the  county  auth(^rities  who  selected 
them  under  instructions  of  the  governor  failed 
in  most  cases  to  list  any  swampy  lands  which 
had  been  entered  prior  to  the  actual  date  of 
the  selection.  But  few  of  these  selections  were 
made  prior  to  1852,  and  most  of  them  not  nntil 
'853,  so  that  the  new  selections  are  made  to 
include  all  swamp  lands  entered  after  .Septem- 
her  _'(),  1830,  ;m(l  nut  previouslv  re|)c)rled. 
I)iiuglas  I'liunty  has  filed  its  claim  rnid  ])ri)ofs 
tor  some  six  llmnsand  "acres,  hut  has  oidy  rc- 
cei\ed  two  thousand,  eight  hundred  and  fifty- 
one  dollars  and  twenty-one  cents,  wdiich  is  as 
yet  unappropriated. 

Agric'ul/nrc. — Douglas  is  a  purely  agricult- 
ural county.  The  prime  essentials  of  cheap 
coal,  constant  w\ater-power  and  ahundance  of 
timber  all  .seem  to  l)e  lacking  in  quantities  ade- 


quate for  manufacturing  purposes.     The  dif- 
ferent streams  of  the  county  are  all   fringed 
with  a  good  growth  of  timljer,  which  includes 
the   usuay   varieties  of  this  latitude,   such  as 
white,   black,   Spanish   and   red  oaks,   shelhark 
and  white  In'ckory,  sugar  and  white  maple,  white 
and  red    (.slippery)   elm,  black  and  honey  lo- 
cust, white  and  black  waliuit,  swamp  and  up- 
land ash,  sycamore,  Cottonwood,  nudberry  and 
wild  cherry.     Since  the  land  has  been  under 
cultivation,  considerable  timber  has  been  added 
by  the  cultivation  of  forest  trees  on  the  prairie, 
to  the  success  of  which  numerous  groves  about 
the  county  bear  w  itness.    ^^'ood  is  still  the  prin- 
cijial  fuel  and  is  hauled  to  the  various  villages 
ill  considerable  quantities.     The  varieties  gen- 
erally used   are   hickory  antl   oak,   and   bring 
prices   varying   from   four   to   five   dollars   per 
cord.     Since  the  building  of  the  east  and  west 
railroads,  coal  has  come  largely  into  use,  not 
only  in  the  town,  but  among  the  farmers  also, 
and    will    e\entually    supplant   w"Ood   as    fuel. 
The  coal  used  is  generally  the  bituminous  va- 
riety, of  Indiana,  and  is  sold  at  about  three 
dollars  and  a  half  per  ton.     No  generally  ob- 
served  S3'steiu  of  agriculture   is   followed   by 
the  fariuers  here.    Average  success  has  yielded 
too  liberal  returns  to  make  a  study  of  the  scien- 
tific princijiles  underlying  this  industry  seem 
a  necessity,  and  many  innovations  have  been 
introduced  in  farming  methods  during  the  last 
twenty  years.    The  pioneer  farmer  had  enough 
to  engage  his  attention  and  resources  in  pro- 
viding a  plain  subsistence  for  his  family,  and 
did  little  in  the  way  of  improved  methods  of 
cultivation,  but  with  the  rude,  careless  method 
in  vogue,  the  land  yielded  considerably  in  ex- 
cess of  the  home  demand,  and  in  the  absence 
of  any  profitable  market  there  was  no  sufifi- 


BIOGRAPFIICAL  AND   HISTORICAL.  41 


cient  inducement  to  increase  the  annual  prod-  a  more  or  less  systematic  rotation   of  crops 

net  by  increased  care  and  system.    The  first  set-  which  is  found  to  lie  advantageous, 

tiers  beg-an  their  imjirovement  in  the  timber,  The   t^-reat    staple   of   the   county    is   ci>rn. 

and  the  scarcity  nf  this  in  the  cnunty  s^reatly  This   is  usually   the  first   cm])  planted   on   .sod 

delawd  its  dc\cl<ipnR'ut.     It  was  nnt  until  the  L^n  mud,  . -111(1  .t^euerally  is  succeeded  by  a  .second 

buildiiiii-  of  the   llhnois  Central    ixailroad  that  crop,  and  tiien  by  wheat.     The  tifnnmd  is  gen- 

tlic  jirairie  land  began  to  be  taken  up  for  cul-  eraliy  well  iircpared  and  the  seed  ]n\[  in  by  a 

tnatiuu.  and  then  the  great  obstacle  of  its  low,  \\\n  horse    machine.      'I"he   rows   are    laid    nut 

wet    character    rctanled    the    movement.      l'"iir  regularly  buth  ways,  ;uid  the  crop  is  generally 

.some  years  this  was  borne  with  .as  beyond  rem-  well  cultivated.     This  is  principally  done  with 

edv,  or  at  least  not  to  be  im])roved  save  by  years  the  double  cuhi\.ilor  ]iassing  in  both  directions 

of  cultivation.     ITp  to  about  1878  the  farming  and  coiUiiuied  uiUil  the  plant  is  .some  four  feet 

interests  suffered,   verv  nuich  from  this  cause,  high   or  begins   to   "joint."   when.  tJie  croji   is 

many  farmers  selling  their  property  after  sev-  "laid    by."      The    I'arms    are    generally    large, 

eral  .successive  annual  failures  and  moving  to  averaging  throughout  the  county  from  one  luui- 

drier  locations  in  the  west.   The  new  purchasers  dred    and    sixty   acres   to   two   hundred    acres, 

were  generally  men  of  some  ca])ital,    who   at  and  the  usual  amount  of  help  available  will  not 

once  grajipled  with  the  evil,  and  by  a  system  permit  fm-ther  care,  even  if  it  was  deemed  nec- 

of  drainage   favored  by  good  seasons  revolu-  essary.     More  care  is  not,  however,  considered 

lionized  farming  interests  and  made  Douglas  of  any  advantage.     Corn  is  husked   from  the 

county   as   good   an   agricultural    region   as   is  standing   stalk,   a    wagon    being   driven    along 

found  in  the  state.     Tiles  are  most  extensively  one  side  and  two  rows  taken  at  a  time,  the  ear 

used  and  the  soil  is  richlv  ])roductive  and  does  being  slrip])ed.  broken  off  and  thrown   in  the 

not  need  enriching  bv  .artificial  means.     Com-  wagon  to  be  transferred  to  the  crib.     This  har- 

mercial  fertilizers  are  unknown  here,  and  even  vesting   is    generally   done    in    Novemlier.    but 

the  accumulations  of  the  barnyard  are  not  pre-  it  is  often  late  in  the  following  month  before 

.served  with  care  and  seldom  used.     The  lack  the  cro])  is  all  housed.     Many  of  the  cribs  are 

of  demand  for  its  use  is  the  prime  reason  for  mere    tem])orary    structin-es    designed   for    the 

this   waste,   but   the   large   dem.ands   upon    the  reason's  yield,  .and  .are  built  at  the  most  con- 

jir.airie  farmer's  lime  is  also  a  notable  f.ictor  in  veuient  point.     The  present  season  has  been  es- 

tliis  matter.    There  is  a  time  in  the  spring  when  ])eci;dly   unf;ivor;il)le    for   housing   corn,      'idie 

tile   hauling  and    scattering  of  ni.anure   might  warm    wet    weather    h.as   iirevented    the    grain 

be  done  without  the  neglect  of  other  duties,  from   hardening   and   drying,   and    some   have 

but  in  this  latitude  the  soil  is  generally  at  this  been  obliged  to  put  lines  of  tile  through  the 

time  so  soft  that  it  is  considered  unwise  to  cut  body  of  the  grain  to  give  it  air  to  dry.     The 

it  up  with  the  wagon.     The  fertility  of  the  s.)il  different   towns  about  afYord   good   marketing 

has  led  to  the  practice  of  cropping  the  .same  facilities,  and  it  is  g-enerally  dispo.sed  of  in  the 

field  for  twelve  or  fifteen  years  in  succession,  ear,  but  few  steam  shellers  being  found  in  the 

but  this  practice  has  of  late  years  given  way  to  county.      A  large  proportion  of  the  yield  is  fed 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


to  stock,  Init  :i  still  larger  proportion,  perhaps, 
is  shipped  away  and  forms  an  important  source 
of  revenue. 

Wheat  is  an  important  product  of  the  coun- 
ty.    In  an  early  day  this  was  thought  to  he  ill- 
adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate  and  was  only 
found  to  succeed  on  the  sod  ground  of  the  tim- 
her  lands.     Continued  cultivation  and  the  care- 
ful choice  of  seed  has  developed  the  fact  that  it 
can  he  grown  anywhere  with  fair  success,  though 
many    still    hold    that    it    is    more    productive 
on  the  soil  of  the  timber  belt.    While  it  is  f()und 
to  do  well  on  sod  gnxmd,  is  generally  sown  on 
corn  stubble.     In  this  case  it  is  usually  drilled 
in   with  a   single-horse  machine  of  five  hots 
1)etween  the  rows.     When  sown  otherwise,  the 
ground  is  carefully  prepared  and  the  seed  put 
in  with  a  two-horse  drill.    The  grain  is  threshed 
in  the  field,  the  steam-power  and  horse-power 
thresher  being  in  about  ecpial  use  and  favoi'. 
The    straw    was,    some   years    ago,    generally 
burned,   but   a   more   economical   method    h^'.s 
since  come  in  \-ogue,  and  the  straw  stack  gen- 
erally left  open  to  stock,  which  are  found  to 
thrive  in  an  open  winter  with  very  little  other 
feeding.     The  sales  of  wheat  each  year  reach 
a    high    figure    and    find    the    general    in.-irkct 
through  the  elevators  which  are  found  at  e:icli 
of  the  principal  villages  of  the  county.     Oats 
are  grown  to  a  considera1)le  extent,  .-uul  lonn 
a  considerable  l)art  of  marketable  product  of  tlie 
county. 

ILLINOIS  CENTK.\L  K.MLKOAU. 

This  road  was  completed  through  Douglas 

county  in  1855,  the  charter  having  been  granted 

by  act  of  congress  in  1850.     This  was  the  first 

■.-.'■lie  work  that  received  subsi(Jies  of  land  from 


the  United  States  government.  The  matter 
was  engineered  by  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  at  that 
time  United  States  senator,  in  which  enterprise 
he  had  the  task  of  reconciling  and  combining 
in  favor  of  the  measure  the  influence  of  both 
ISenton  and  Clay,  who  were  strongly  oppo.sed 
to  each  other  in"everything  else.  Mr.  Clay  said 
in  a  speech  that  he  "had  traveled  these  prairies 
for  days  at  a  time  and  never  saw  a  tree  as  large 
as  a  walking  stick."  Douglas  turned  to  Benton 
and  said,  "He  never  was  on  a  prairie  in  his 
l;fe,  and  on  our  prairies  you  are  never  out  of 
s'ght  of  timl)er  a  minute." 

This  road  was  granted  every  alternate  sec- 
tion of  land,  designated  by  even  mimbers,  for 
six  miles  on  either  side  of  the  track,  afterward 
increased  by  a  further  grant  of  the  alternate 
sections  within  fifteen  miles  of  the  track  on  each 
side  of  the  road  and  its  branches,  all  even  num- 
bered sections,  except  section  16,  which  was 
reserved  for  schools  and  also  excepting  lands 
(  ccupied  by  actual  settlers.  The  United  States 
lands  had  been  selling  for  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  per  acre  and  the  price  of  the 
remaining  lands  was  immediately  doubled,  and 
some  are  said  to  have  sold  as  high  as  five  and 
six  dollars  per  acre. 

The  government  reserved  the  privilege  of 
transportation,  free  of  toll  or  other  charge,  of 
;'.nv  ])roperty  or  troops  of  the  United  States, 
and  a  condition  was,  that  the  road  should  be 
completed  in  ten  years,  ;ind  the  company,  by 
;ict  of  assembly,  to  pay  into  the  state  treasury 
five  per  cent,  of  the  gross  earnings  of  the  road 
for  all  future  time,  and  also,  three-fourths  of 
one  per  cent,  of  stock  and  assets,  or  enough  to 
make  at  least  seven  per  cent,  of  the  gross  earn- 
ings, a  perpetual  revenue  to  the  .state;  and  the 
lands  were  to  be  free  from  taxation  until  they 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL 


43 


had  been  sold  and  conveyed.  r>y  the  charter 
road  is  free  from  local  and  numicipal  taxation. 
The  number  of  acres  granted  to  this  road  in 
tlie  state  was  two  million,  iive  hundred  and 
ninety-fi\-e  thousand. 

The  relative  elevations  of  points  along  the 
line  of  this  mad  in  the  county  are  as  follows: 

The  south  hue  of  the  county.  .  .  .  303.0 

Areola  station ?,'^^-7 

Bourbon  Switch 279.3 

TuscfT^a  station 285.3 

North  line  of  comity Zo--7 

This  makes  Areola  18.4  feet  higlier  than 
Tuscola,  ou  the  line  of  the  road.  The  north 
line  of  the  count v  is  the  highest  point,  hut  one, 
between  Centr;di;i  and  ( 'li;inip;iign,  the  higli 
est  pi>int  being  two  miles  north  ol  ToImuo.  It 
is  notable,  however,  in  counection  with  these 
facts,  that  Tuscola  is  conspicuous  troin  the  sur- 
rciunding  country.  Avhicb  is  not  the  fact  in  the 
case  of  Areola,  and  mav  be  owing  to  some  ex- 
tent to  the  elevation  of  soiue  buildings,  as  the 
court  house  and  seminary.  These  figures  apply 
to  this  railroad  only.  It  will  not  do  to  com])are 
Iheni  as  tbe\'  stand  with  eoui])arati\e  elevations 
U]ion  other  roads  in  the  county. 

Till':    lNI)I.\NAI'o|.IS,    DICC.VITk    X    W  l-'.S  ll'.KX 
K.MI.W.W. 

This  road  lra\ei'ses  the  county  from  east  to 
west,  north  of  the  middle,  in  lownshiii  i')  and 
near  the  middle  of  Newnnan,  C'amargo,  Tuscola 
and  Garrett  townships,  intersecting  the  Illinois 
Central  at  Tuscola,  the  county  seat.  It  was 
finished  through  the  county  in  1S72.  The 
charter    of    the    Indiana    &     Illinois    Central 


Railroad  Com[)any,  of  Indiana,  liears  date  of 
December  30,  ICS52;  that  of  the  Decatur  & 
Indianajiolis  was  dated  March  21,  1853.  and 
these  were  consolidated  in  1854,  furming  the 
I.,  I ).  M-  W.  i\aih\ay.the  road  recei\-ing  its  pres- 
ent name  imder  reorganization  in  1876. 

In  i8f)8,  Dniiglas  county  pmxhased  2,45(; 
shares  of  the  ca])ital  stock  of  the  com])any  and 
there  was  issued  to  the  county  a  certificate  for 
the  shares.  These  were  at  a  par  value  of  $i_'_'.- 
950  and  were  purchased  of  pri\-ate  parlies  in 
lndiana]iolis  for  $_'o,ooo.  The  transaction 
was  co.nducted  liy  T.  I  I.  Macoughtry,  Maiden 
Jones,  and  Thomas  S.  Sluss,  and  reiiorted  to 
April  term  of  county  couit,  }H(\H.  In  187J 
tlie  ciiunty  issued  to  the  ci>m])any  $80,000  in 
bunds,  with  interest  at  ten  ]>er  cent.,  i>ayable 
•.annnalh',  ]irinci])al  payable  in  twenty  years, 
reserving  the  right  to  p;iy  the  principal  after 
e'glit  \'ears:  this  in  accordance  with  the  will  of 
the  electors,  as  exjiressed  at  the  polls  July  15, 
|80().  There  was  also  subscribed  in  aid  ol  this 
road,  b\-  a  \'ote  of  the  ]>eople  in  Newman  town- 
shi]),  $12, 000;  Camargo  townshi]),  $15,000; 
Tuscola  township,  $_'o.noo :  (Barrett  townshi]), 
$r3,ono;  making  an  aggregate  of  $60,000, 
]\avable  in  t'oiu'teen  wars,  with  interest  at  ten 
]K'|-  cent.  bending  the  building  of  the  ro;id 
lai'ge  (piantities  of  lands  had  been  ;iC(|nired  b\' 
the  com]);mv.  long  its  line  in  this  and  other 
comities,  in  subscriptions  of  private  parties  tor 
stock. 

Tlu'  relative  I'levalioiis  of  points  along  the 
line  of  this  road,  in  the  count)',  are  as  follows: 

b'asl  line  of    county 247 

Newman    238 

One  mile  east  of   Camargo 268 

Two  miles  west   of   Camargo.  .  .  .  268 


44 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Tuscola    251 

Atwood,  west  line  of  county 257 

THE    ILLINOIS    MIDLAND    RAILWAY 

Tin's  line  tr;i\orses  the  county  from  east  to 
west,  in  the  south  part,  crossing  the  Illinois 
Central  at  Areola.  It  was  originally  an  enter- 
prise of  citizens  of  .Areola  and  the  vicinity,  and 
\vas  first  calle<l  the  I'aris  &  Decatur.  LT])on 
the  extension  of  the  line  to  Terre  Haute,  the 
nruue  of  that  city  was  prefixed,  and,  finally,  a 
further  addition  was  made  to  Peoria.  It  is 
now  operated  by  the  Vandalia  system.  The 
first  train  passed  over  this  road  October  25, 
1872. 

THE  DANVILLE,  TUSCOLA  &  WESTERN 
RAILROAD. 

This  road  was  instituted  by  Tuscola 
people,  materially  aided  by  influential  parties 
in  Douglas  and  Vermilion  counties.  It  runs  in  a 
northeast  direction  from  Tuscola,  leaving 
Douglas  county  in  the  northeast  part  of  Cam- 
argo  township,  thence  through  parts  of  Cham- 
paign and  Vermilion  counties  to  the  ancient 
town  of  Dallas,  and  to  Danville.  The  prelim- 
inary surveying  was  done  upon  this  line  in 
January.  i(S72,  and  ground  broken  the  follow- 
ing April.  It  is  now  the  Chicago  &  Eastern 
Illinfiis,  running  from  Chicago  to  St.  Lrmis. 

Other  roads  have  been  prt)posed  which  were 
designed  to  cross  the  county  in  some  part,  as  a 


road  from  Pana  to  Tolono,  through  Garrett 
township ;  a  Mattoon  &  Danville,  through 
Bowdre  and  Newman,  and  a  Charleston  & 
Danville,  touching  Sargent  township,  all  of 
which  have  had  i)reliminary  surveys.  Another 
proposed  road  is 

THE    TOLEDO    &    ST.    LOUIS, 

Which  runs  in  a  southwesterly  direction  from 
Areola,  has  been  graded  for  several  miles.  In 
October,  1871,  delegations  from  Areola  and 
Tuscola  met  in  Shelbyville,  in  the  interests  of 
this  road  and  that  of  their  respective  towns ; 
this,  of  course,  was  whilst  the  Illinois  Central 
was  the  only  railroad  in  the  county. 

PKOl'ORTION    OF    INDEBTEDNESS    ASSUMED. 

In  the  act  creating  the  county  of  Douglas, 
the  new  county  became  responsible  for  one- 
fourth  part  of  the  indebtedness  of  Coles  county 
to  the  Terre  Haute  &  Alton  Railroad,  and 
accordingly,  at  a  special  meeting  of  the  county 
board,  January  8,  1868,  the  county  purchased 
of  John  Monroe,  of  Coles  county,  bonds  num- 
bers I  to  15  inclusive  amounting  to  $19,070.98, 
and  also  paid  interest  on  a  remaining  $10,000, 
amounting  to  $7,800,  and  since,  about  $12,500 
of  interest  and  princip;d,  ni;iking  a  total  cost  to 
the  ciiuiUy,  in  the  transaction,  of  $3(). 370.98. 
Coles  county  had  taken  $100,000  in  the  stock 
of  the  road,  now  called  the  I.  &  St.  L. 


THE  MILITARY  RECORD 


DOUGLAS  COUNTY 


QHAPTER   III. 


THI£   MILITARY  RECORD  OF  DOUGLAS  COUNTY 


rUliUC    SENTIMKNT   AN'l)    CIVIL    ACTION.  cni    p(irlii)ns    of    tllC    CiiUlltrV.        It     is    (liiulllful 

wlicllier  Ii(ii)c  (ir  fi-ar  prc'cldininatcd  in  tlio 
Tlie  w.'u"  of  tlie  ivclit'llidn  is  a  .i^roat  land-  iiiiiuls  (jf  the  iJeoplc  as  tlic  day  a])pn)aclie(l 
mark  in  the  history  u\  the  nation.  It  is  a  no  wlicn  Lincoln  was  to  l)e  inaugurated,  hut  tlie 
less  important  one  in  the  liisbjry  of  Douglas  hope  and  expectation  of  the  great  majority 
county.  In  its  early  history  the  winter  of  the  was  that,  in  liis  grasp,  tlie  serpent  of  .secession 
'■great  snow"  measured  the  i)crspecti\e  of  re-  would  he  strangled,  as  Jackson  had  done  he- 
ceding  years,  hut  in  the  maturer  age  "the  war"'  fore  in  the  case  of  the  "Nulliliers."  it  was  in 
marked  the  turning  of  a  new  page.  In  those  this  state  of  vacillation  hctween  hope  and  fear, 
years  of  national  trial  there  was  scarcely  a  fam-  that  the  reverherations  of  I'Virt  Sumter's  guns 
ily  in  the  county  that  was  not  called  n])on  to  ass.ailcd  the  ears  of  the  eager  North.  It  was 
do  and  suffer  for  the  common  we.al,  and  many  this  explosion,  echoing  round  the  world,  that 
a  heart  sorrow  or  the  foundation  of  a  pros-  united  the  \'arious  ])olitical  elements,  and  made 
jjcrous  fortune  dates  hack  to  those  fateful  men  Lhiion  or  non-Lhu'on.  Niceties  of  i)olitical 
years.  distinctions  were  almost  entirely  lost  sight  of, 
The  ]iolitic,al  c\cnts  which  ])rcceded  the  an<l  while  the  change  of  front  was  too  sudden 
war  found  m.anv  anxions  watchers  here.  The  an<l  ra<lical  to  secure  the  adhesion  of.  all  to 
sen.atorial  camp;iign  of  iiS5S,  with  the  succeed-  one  party,  Douglas  I'ounly.  in  the  main,  pre- 
ing  presi<Ienti;il  contest  of  iSOo,  in  holli  of  sented  hut  one  sentiment,  and  that  for  the  sup- 
which  Lincoln  was  the  ex])onenl  of  princii)les  port  of  the  Union,  .'^alm'day,  .\[iril  13,  icS6i, 
then  in  the  ascend.ancy  in  Douglas  county,  I'orl  .Sumter  siu'rendcrcd.  The  news  spread 
served  to  fix  the  attention  of  this  section  upon  over  the  country  and  Douglas  county  respond- 
the  jiolitical  storm  which  .seemed  to  he  gather-  ed  to  the  call  for  troops  with  a  patriotic  en- 
ing  with  portentions  niutterings  over  the  south-  thusiasm  not   excelled   hy  any  community  in 


48 


BlOGRAPfllCAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


the  state.  Volunteering  for  the  service  was 
spirited,  and  prominent  in  the  efforts  to  se- 
cure troops  for  the  defense  of  the  Union  should 
be  mentioned  the  names  of  E.  McCarty  and 
J.  B.  McCown. 

It  was  not  until  the  second  year  of  the 
war  that  the  county  took  official  action  to  aid 
enlistments.  In  July,  1862,  the  county  court 
passed  an  order  "for  the  purpose  of  aiding  in 
enlistment  of  volunteers  for  the  United  States 
service  to  be  raised  in  the  county  of  Douglas; 
fur  the  support  of  the  families  of  those  who 
have  heretofore  enlisted  from  Douglas 
county."  By  this  order  the  sum  of  $2,000 
was  appropriated,  or  as  much  as  necessary  for 
the  purpose.  At  the  same  time,  to  carry  out 
the  intention  of  this  appropriation,  it  was  fur- 
ther ordered  "that  the  justices  of  the  peace 
of  the  county  be  invited  and  requested  to  act 
in  concert  with  the  court  in  carrying  out  this 
laudable  intention,  by  acting  promptly  in  this 
matter,  by  ascertaining  and  reporting  to  the 
clerk  of  this  court  the  names  of  all  volunteers 
who  were  or  are  residents  of  their  respective 
precincts  at  the  time  of  entering  the  service, 
showing  separately  the  names  of  all  those 
leaving  wives  and  families  or  others  dependent 
upon  them  for  a  livelihood  and  support.  The 
said  justices  shall  from  time  to  time  keep  them- 
selves advised  of  the  condition  and  wants  oi 
all  such  families  as  far  as  the  comforts  and 
necessaries  of  life  are  concerned,  and  shall 
make  arrangements  with  some  merchant,  or 
merchants,  grocer  or  grocerymen,  to  furnish 
the  said  families  and  persons  dependent,  as 
aforesaid,  with  the  said  necessaries,  using  due 
caution  and  circumspection  with  an  eye  to 
economy,  reporting  their  acts  and  doings  in 
the  premises  to  this    court    at    each    regular 


meeting  of  the  board,  together  with  the  bills 
made  for  said  support,  properly  certified  to  by 
them,  for  allowance  as  other  claims  by  the 
court;  and  further  to  do  and  perform  what 
other  duties  may  become  necessary  as  time 
may  suggest  in  the  premises."  A  regular  tax 
was  sulisequently  levied  for  this  purpose,  and 
in  December,  1864,  it  was  ordered  "that  Gil- 
bert Summe  be  appointed  agent,  whose  duty  it 
shall  be  to  visit  all  such  destitute  families  and 
ascertain  their  exact  condition,  and  supply 
their  wants  by  giving  orders  to  grocers  and 
merchants  for  such  groceries  or  clothing  as 
their  wants  may  require,  specifying  definitely 
the  quantity  of  each  item  and  article,  using  all 
due  care  and  circumspection  with  an  eye  to 
strict  economy,  and  keeping  a  just  and  correct 
account  by  copy  of  each  order,  in  whose  favor 
drawn,  and  to  whom  the  order  may  be  sent. 
It  shall  be  the  duty  of  said  agent  further  to 
agree  with  some  merchant  or  merchants,  gro- 
cer or  grocers,  to  supply  the  said  volunteers' 
families  with  such  things  as  they  may  require 
at  a  reduction  on  their  customary  rates  of  sale, 
if  such  an  arrangement  be  possible."  The  tax 
reached  one  and  a  quarter  mills  upon  the  dol- 
lar for  this  purpose,  and  the  method  of  dis- 
bursing it  was  changed  so  as  to  pay  each  wife 
or  mother  of  volunteers  $1  per  week,  and  fifty 
cents  per  week  for  each  child  under  ten  years 
of  age.  What  sum  the  county  expended  in 
this  way  iloes  not  appear  in  the  state  rejjorts, 
and  no  reliable  estimate  can  l)e  made  of  it,  but 
it  was  a  very  considerable  sum,  and  th^es  honor 
to  the  loyal,  generous  sentiment  of  the  comity. 
No  bounties  were  offered  by  the  county. 
In  fact,  there  seemed  no  necessity  for  this  ex- 
penditure to  stimulate  enlistments,  the  county 
promptly  meeting  the  demands  made  upon  it 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  49 


and  filling- its  quota  witliout  resort  to  draft.  The  tin  died   df  wounds  received  at   Liberty  Gap, 
population   of   Douglas   county    in    1860   was  June  25,    iSO;,.     (iilliert  Snninie,  of  Tuscola, 
7,101;:  the  enrollment  showed,  in    1863,   1,491  was   cai)tain     of    Company    A,    Seventy-ninth 
men    subject    to   military   duty,    and    1,803    i"  Illinois,    a    three    months'    regiment.      Dcrrick 
1864,  and  1, 841')  in  January.  1865.     The  quota  Lamb,   of   Tuscola,   was  captain   of   Company 
of  the  county  in   1861  was  199  men;  in  1862,  Iv,  One  Hundred  and   iMirty-ninlh,  and  .after- 
136;  under  the  calls  of  February  i  and  March  w.ard  of  Com])any  (',,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
14.    i8r)4.   for  an  aggregate  of  700,000  men,  fifth.     J.   .M.   Al.iris.  of  Tuscola,  was  (piartcr- 
Douglas   county's   (|Uota    was   j,^/>,   and    under  m.-ister    in    the    Sixtv-third    Regiment.       |.    J'l. 
the  call  of  July  18,  1864,  for  500.000,  it  was  iMcCown,   of   C.iniargo,    was  colonel    of    the 
281,  making  a  total  of  952  men  as  the  quota  of  Sixty-third,  in   which  regiment  J.  W.  iMcKiu- 
tlie  county  prior  to   December  31,   1864.      Up  ney  was  surgeon.      W.    II.   I.;iml).  of  Tu.scola, 
to  this  period  the  enlistment  had  reached  i.f)o8,  w;is  a<ljntant  of  iho  Seventy  niiUb.      Wesford 
makuig  an  e.Kcess  of  56  men.      Under  the  Last  Taggart,  of  'I'uscoja,  was  lienleu.ant-coloncl  of 
call,   December  31,    1865,   the  (piota  was  225,  the  Twenty-fiftli.     Dr.  J.  L.  Reat  was  surgeon 
and    the   enlistments    1(17.    making    the    grand  of  the  Twcnty-lir^t.      llenrv   Von   Trcbra,  of 
total  of  (|Uotas:     For  the  war,   1,177,  and  the  Areola,   w;is  colonel   of  the    Thirty-second   Jn- 
credits,  1,175,  a  deficit  of  2  men.    It  is  probable,  diana.      lie  died   in   Arcol.a   in   August,    1805. 
however,  that  instead  of  a  small  deficit,  Doug-  Simeon   I'addlef'ird,  of  Tuscola,   was  a  quar- 
las  county  furni.shed  more  than  her  quota,  if  termaster  in  the  Twenty-lirsl   Illinois.     Doug- 
all   who   volunteered   from   it  had   found   their  las  county   was   represented  bv  a    few  men  in 
names  jjl.accd  to  its  credit.  each    of    the    regiments.    Twenty  third,    lofly- 
The    first    full    company — D,    Twenty-first  seventh.   One    Hundred   and    l'"i  fty-f'ourth    llli- 
lllinoi.s — went  out  under  the  command  of  C.apt.  nois  Infantry,  in  the  Second,  lol"lh  and  Tenth 
James    \L   Callaway,  of  Tu.scola,   who  became  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  the  Chicago  Light  .\rtil- 
lieiUenant-colonel.      T'resident    (iraiit    was    the  lery.      In   the  T\\  cut  v-first,  Twentv  liftli,    h'if- 
first  colonel  of  this  regiment.      I'.,   b'rank  Reed,  ty-fonrth,    .Sc\  enly  niiUh,    (  )ne    llinidred    .and 
of  Bowdre  low  nshi]).  w.as  also  a  capt.ain  of  this  Thirty-fiflh,    One    Hundred    and     i-'ort  v-niuth 
company.      He   died    in    September,    18^)5,    of  Illinois    inf.inlry  a)id    Thirteenth    Illinois  Cav- 
wounds    received    ;it    Chick.am.anga.      William  arly   there   were   larger   representations,   and   a 
lirian    w.is    the    first    captain    of   Companv    11,  more  cxtemled  iioiici'  of  the  reginu'nts'  career 
Iwenty-filth  Regiment.     !'"om- companies  were  is   subjoined    \viiu\   the   .adjnfaul    gener.al's   re- 
made uj)  for  the  Seventy-ninth,  .Mien  Bnckner,  port, 
of  Areola,  being  the  colonel.    A.  \an  Deren,  of 

Tuscola,  was  captain  of  Company  1',;  William  twi-ntv-kirst    Illinois    ink.\ntkv. 

A.  Low,  of  Newman,  w.as  captain  of  C'omp.any  'The  first  of  Dougl.as  count\''s  contributions 

E;  Oliver  O.  Bagiey,  of  Camargo,  was  captain  to   the  war   went   out   in   Company   1),   01    the 

of   Company   G.    and    Dr.    H.    D.    Martin,    of  'Twenty-first    Regiment.      The  officers   of  this 

Areola,  was  captain  of  Company  K.    Dr.  Mar-  comi)any  were  as  follows: 
4 


so 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Captains — J.  E.  Callaway,  till  September 
19,  1862;  B.  F.  Reed,  till  Scptcmijer  22,  1863; 
J.  T.  Kirkman,  till  June  7,  1864;  P.  A.  Cord, 
til  muster  out  of  regiment. 

First  Lieutenants — B.  F.  Reed,  till  Sep- 
tember 19,  1862;  Simeon  Paddleford,  till  Au- 
gust 18,  1864:  J.  W.  Pierce,  till  May  13,  1865; 
S.  H.  Ford. 

Second  Lieutenants — J.  T.  Kirkman,  till 
.Se])teml)cr  19,  1862;  Lawrence  Mc(.iratb,  not 
mustered. 

Enlisted  men  from  Douglas  county  were: 

First  Sergeant — G.  P.  Barlow. 

Sergeants — C.  A.  Coykendall,  died  at  Tus- 
cola, January  10,  1865;  F.  T.  Westfall,  Sim- 
eon Paddleford,  promoted  lirst  lieutenant;  Cor- 
nelius Hopkins. 

Corporals — John  W'elliver,  promoted  ser- 
geant; Evan  Calleutine;  S.  A.  Albin,  died  Jan- 
uary I,  1863;  of  wounds;  P.  A.  Cord,  W.  W. 
Watson,  James  Gillogy;  Simon  Childers,  died 
;\pril   1.   1862;  John  Pence. 

Musicians — J.  R.  Eldred,  William  Mitchell. 

Wagoner — B.  F.  Owings. 

Privates — S.  Ayres ;  J.  C.  Ackerman,  killed 
at  Stone  River,  January  i,  1863;  W.  Avery, 
died  May  4,  i8()4,  ])risoner  of  war;  L.  P.  Jjunt- 
ing,  killed  at  .Stone  River  January  I,  1863; 
R.  B.  Bostwick;  1).  W.  iSarnett,  died  January 
27,  1864,  prisoner  of  w.ir;  \V.  S.  Brasselton, 
died  March  I,  1  S63  ;  W.  W.  liagley;  J.  E.  Bag- 
lew  died  Julv  4,  18^14.  prisoner  of  war;  C. 
Burns,  J.  Byers,  killed  at  Stone  River,  January 
I,  1863;  J.  W.  Barrum,  J.  W.  Brinnegar,  E. 
Coi¥in,  S.  C.  Clubb;  I.  S.  Cross,  died  Septem- 
ber 6,  1864.  prisoner  of  war;  J.  Condit,  J.  Cos- 
let.  W.  C.  Coslet,  F.  M.  Daniels,  Jtjhn  Daniels, 
Steven  Daniels,  G.  W.  Doyle;  L.  J.  Day,  killed 
at  Chickamauga,  Sejitember  20,  1863;  G.  Earl, 


S.  H.  Ford,  William  Friddle,  G.  M.  Grace,  W. 
W.  Grace;  Jacob  Good,  died  January  23,  1863  ; 

A.  Geer,  E.  Hollingsworth.  D.  Haines,  Thomas 
Haines,  R.  B.  Hoofman ;  G.  Helmick,  died 
March  28,  ]862;  William  Hill,  A.  Hagaman, 
J.  Hornback ;  Thomas  Keaton,  died  November 
21,  1 861;  William  Leston,  S.  A.  Lindsay, 
John  Lyons,  N.  B.  Modissett,  Charles  Mont- 
gomery; L.  McDowell,  died  .August  i,  1863; 
F.  Mary,  Thomas  McGuire,  J.  D.  Maddo.x, 
J.  N.  Neal;  E.  H.  Neal,  promoted  corporal, 
died  January  9,  1864,  prisoner  of  war;  Henry 
Otten,  J.  Osborne;  .\.  H.  Perry,  drowned  at 
Pittman's  Ferry,  Mary  14,  1862;  J.  W.  Pierce, 
H.  R.  Potts,  William  Polk,  J.  J.  G.  Russell. 
John  Robinett,  William  Riley;  Levi  Romine, 
died  February  16,  i8C)3;  J.  Riney,  H.  Shoap, 
W.  N.  Saintford,  J.  Skinner,  G.  W^  Snyder, 

B.  F.  Shook,  J.  Shireman;  W.  H.  Smallwood, 
died  January  16.  1863,  of  wounds;  J.  Ted- 
row,  I.  D.  Van  Meter,  R.  P.  West,  John  Wa- 
ters, G.  W.  White,  H.  Warren,  Willi.am 
Wamsley. 

Veterans — S.  D.  .\yers,  C.  Burns,  R.  B. 
Bostwick;  P.  A.  Cord,  promoted  captain;  J. 
Conflict,  promoted  cor[ioral ;  F.  M.  Daniels,  Q. 
I-dlis;  S.  H.  I'^ord,  ])rom(.)ted  first  lieutenant; 
William  Friddle;  G.  M.  Grace,  promoted  CQr- 
poral ;  F.  Hollingsworth,  D.  Haines,  T.  W. 
Haines,  William  Hill;  W.  11.  Liston,  promoted 
sergeant;  .\.  A.  Lindsay,  Thomas  McCJuire, 
\\illiani  Mitchell;  L.  McGrath,  promoted  fir.st 
sergeant;  A.  J.  NewptMt,  B.  F.  Owings;  J.  W. 
Pierce,  promoted  first  lieutenant;  J.  C.  Still, 
John   Waters,   W.   W.   Watson. 

Recruits — S.  C.  Bagley,  died  April  24, 
1864,  prisoner  of  war;  O.  Ellis,  C.  C.  Lee;  W. 
P.  Liston,  died  October  8,  1863,  from  wounds; 
L.  McCirath ;  I.  W.  Noel,  killed  at  Stone  River, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  5I 

December  30,  1862;  J.  Nell;  Thomas  Owens,      nibal  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad,  west  of  Palmyra, 
(lied  May  28,    1862;  A.   N.   Protzman,  Gilby     and  the  Twenty-llrst  was  ordered  to  their  re- 
Sipple,  Thomas  Wamsley,  J-   ^\'■   Watson,  J.      lief.      Under   these   circumstances,   expedition 
M.  Wyckoff.  \\as  necessary;      accordingly  the  march   was 
The  regiment   was  organized   in   the   sev-     abandoned,  and  the  railroad  was  called   int<j 
enth    congressional    district,    and     was     ren-      requisition.     Before  the  Twenty-hrst  reached 
dezvonsed  at  Mattoon,  Illinois.    On  the  i5th'of      its  new   destination  the   Sixteenth   had  extri- 
M^y,  1861,  it  was  mustered  into  the  state  serv-     cated  itself.     The  Twenty-first  was  then  kept 
ice  for  thirty  days,  by  Capt.  \J.  S.  Grant.     On     on  duty  on  the  line  of  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Jo- 
ihe  jSth  iif  June  it  was  mustered  inti)  the  Uni-      sepli  Railroad   fur  abuut  two  weeks,   without, 
led  States  service,  with  Capt.  LL  S.  Grant  as      however,    meeting    an    enemy    or    an    incident 
colonel.     A  letter  from  Gen.  Grant  gives  the     worth  relating.     We  ditl  make  one  march,  how- 
history  of   his  connection   with   the  regiment     ever,  during  that  time,  from  Salt  River,  Mis- 
as  follows:     "I  was  appointed  colonel  of  the     sonri,   to   Florida,   Missouri,   and   returned   in 
Twenty-first    Illinois    Volunteer    Infantry,  by     search  of  Tom  Harris,  who  was  reported  in 
Gov.   Richard   Yates,  some  time  early  in  the     that  neighborhood   with  a  handful  of  rebels, 
month  of  June,  1861,  and  assumed  command     It  was  impossible,  however,  to  get  nearer  than 
of  the  regiment  on  the   i6th  of  that  month,  a  day's  march  of  him.     From  Salt  River  the 
The  regiment  was  mustered  into  the  service  of  regiment  went  to  Mexico,  Missouri,  where  it 
the  United  States  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  remained   fi_)r  two  weeks;   thence  to   fronton, 
month.     P)eing  ordered  to  rendezvous  the  reg-  Missouri,  passing  through   St.  Louis,  on  the 
iment  at  Uuincy,  Illinois,   1   thought,   for  the  /th  of  August,  when  I  was  assigned  to  duty  as 
purpose  of  discipline  antl  speedy  efficiency  for  a  brigadier-general,  and  turned  over  the  coin- 
the  lield,  it  would  be  well  to  march  the  regiment  mand   of   the   regiment    t(j     that    gallant   and 
across  the  couirtry,  insteail  of  transporting  by  Christian   ofticer.   Col.   Alexander,   who  ;ifter- 
rail.     Accordingly,  on  the  3rd  of  July,   1861,  ward  yielded  up  his  life,  whilst  nobly  leading  it 
the  march  was  commenced  from  Camp  N'ates,  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga." 
Springfield,  Illinois,  and  continued  until  about  The   regiment    remained   at    Ironton,    Mis- 
three    miles    beyond    the    Illinois    ri\er,    when  souri,  untiM  k'tobcr  jo,  iSdi,  when  it  marched 
disjiatches  were  received,  changing  the  destina-  out    from    that  ])lace,   and    participated    in    the 
lion  of  the  regiment  to  Ironton,  Missouri,  and  battle  of  iM-ederickstown  on  the  following  d;iy. 
directing  me  to  return  to  the  river  and  take  a  Returning    to    Jmnton,    the    Twenty-first    re- 
steamer,  which  hail  been  sent  there  for  the  pur-  mained    luitil     January     29,     1862,     when     it 
pose  of  transporting  the  regiment  to  St.  Louis,  marched  with  Gen.  Steele's  expedition  to  Jack- 
The  steamer  failing  to  reach  the  point  of  em-  sonport,   Arkansas,   wiien    it   was   ordered   to 
barkation,  several  days  were  here  lost.     In  the  Corinth,  by  way  of  Cape  Girardeau.     On  May 
nieantime  a  portion   of  the   Sixteenth    Illinois  24,    1802,     the     regiment     reached     1  lambm-g 
Infantry,  under  Col.  .Snnth,  was  rei)orted  sur-  Landing,  and  look  up  a  position  near  C'orinlh 
rounded  by  the  enemy  at  a  [loint  on  the  Han-  subsefjttenlly.     On  the  evacuation  of  this  place. 


52 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


tlie   Twenty-first    pursued    tlie    enemy    from 
Farmington,   Mississippi,  to   Booneville.     Re- 
turning from  the  pursuit,  it  formed  a  part  of 
an  expedition  to  Holly  Springs.     On  the  14th 
of  August,  1862,  the  Twenty-first  was  ordered 
to  join  Gen.  Buell's  army  in  Tennessee,  which 
it  accomplished,  marching  hy  way  of  Eastport, 
Mississippi,    Columliia,    Tennessee,    Florence, 
Alabama,  Franklin,  Murfreesboro  and  Nash- 
ville,  Tennessee,   arriving   at   Louisville   Sep- 
tember 2-j,  i(S62.    On  the  counter-march  across 
Kentucky  in  pursuit  of  Bragg,  the  regiment  en- 
gaged in  the  battles  of  Perryville  and  Chaplin 
Hill,  Company  F  being  the  first  troops  to  en- 
ter  Perryville.      From    thence    the    regiment 
marched  to  Crab  Tree  Orchard  and  Bowling 
Green,  Kentucky,  and  to  Nashville,  Tennessee. 
When  the  army  marched  from  Nashville, 
December  26,    1862,   this  regiment   formed  a 
part  of  the  Second   Brigade,   First   Division, 
Twentieth  Army  Corps,  and  was  in  the  skir- 
mish at  Knob  Gap.     On  December  30,  in  con- 
nection with  the  Fifteenth  ^Visconsin,  Thirty- 
eighth    lllinnis   and   One   Hundred   and   First 
Ohio,  it  had  a  severe  engagement  with  the  en- 
emy near  Murfreesboro,  where  it  chargetl  the 
f;unous  Washington    (rebel)    Light  Artillery, 
twelve  I'arnitt  guns,  and  succeeded  in  driving 
every  man  from  the  battery,  when  it  was  com- 
pelled  to   f;ill   back   liy  a  division  of  rebel  in- 
fantry.     During   the   battle   of   Murfreesboro 
it  was  fiercely  engaged  and  did  gallant  duty, 
losing  more  men  than  any  other  regiment  en- 
gaged.   The  Twenty-first  was  with  Gen.  Rose- 
crans'    army     from    Murfreesboro    to    Chat- 
tanooga.    On  June  25,  1863,  the  regiment  was 
engaged  in  a  severe  skirmish  at  Liberty  Gap. 
It  was  subsequently  engaged  in  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga.  where  it  lost  two  hundred  and 


thirty-eight  oftrcers  and  men.  Col.  Alexander 
being  killed  and  Lieut.  Col.  McMackin  being 
wounded,  Capt.  A.  C.  Knight  took  command 
of  the  regiment.  After  the  battle  of  Chicka- 
mauga the  Twenty-first  was  attached  to  the 
First  Brigade,  First  Division,  Fourth  Army 
Corps,  and  remained  at  Bridgeport,  Alabama, 
until  the  close  of  1863.  February  27,  1864, 
the  regiment  re-enlisted,  some  twenty-five  men 
of  Company  D  veteranizing.  The  regiment 
served  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  subse- 
quently was  ordered  to  Texas,  where  it  was 
mustered  out  December  16,  1865,  at  San 
Antonio. 

TWENTY-FIFTH     ILLINOIS    INFANTRY. 

Company  H  <.)f  this  regiment  was  recruited 
in  Douglas  county.  The  commissioned  officers 
were:  Captains — William  Brian,  till  Decem- 
ber 30,  186 1 ;  Benjamin  F.  Ford,  till  March  2, 
1863;  J.  H.  Hastings,  till  October  2,  1863; 
John  Scott,  till  nuistered  out. 

First  Lieutenants — Allen  Buckner,  till  June 
13,  1862;  H.  C.  Paddock,  till  November  14, 
i8()2;  J.  H.  Hastings,  till  March  2,  1863; 
John  Scott,  till  Octolier  2,  1863;  Thomas  Mal- 
lott,  till  .September  i,  1864;  James  T.  Walker, 
till  September  21,  1865. 

Secr^nd  Lieutenants — Archibald  \'an  De- 
ren,  till  July  15,  1862;  J.  H.  Flastings,  till  No- 
vember 14,  i8()2;  John  Scott,  till  March  2, 
1863;  Thomas  Mallott,  till  October  2,   1863. 

The  enlisted  men  from  Douglas  county 
were :  First  Ser'^eant — H.  Hopkins  died  at 
Jefl"erson  City  Sei)teml)er  12,   1861. 

Sergeants — Daniel  O'Root,  Henry  Cook; 
G.  W.  Harris,  promoted  sergeant;  J.  H.  Has- 
tings, promoted  second  lieutenant. 


BIOGR.VPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL.  53 

Corf^onils — Janics  Lewis.  W.  H.  Harrison,  i^<>s:    I.   S.    \Miecler,   killed    at     Tea     Ridi^c, 

l^anicl   Jacobs;   J.   T.    \\'alker,   promoted   first  .Arkansas,  March  S,  1S62;  A.J.  Walston.  pro- 

lieutcnant:  John  Yaker;  John  Scott,  promoted  moted  sert^eant. 

second  lientenant;  G.  P.  McOnaid,  died  Manrii  Kccniils — Perry  Bnrnham  ;  J.   A.  Carthal. 

2,  1863,  of  wounds  received  at  Stone  River.  died  at  Rolla,  IMissouri,  January  18,  T862;  H. 

Musicians — G.  P.  Sart;ent  J.  A.  Ritter.  II.   Crist;   D.    Dennis,   died   at  Jefferson   City 

]Vagoncr — William   1  loqland.  September  \2.   i(S()i:  L  N.  Dickens,  S.  Epley  ; 

Privates — Charles  Allison,  promoted  cor-  William  Helm,  died  at  Nashville  November 
poral,  died  January  21,  1863;  J>.  I"".  Allison,  J.  i).  oXdj;  1).  C.  Johnson;  S.  Kin^jery,  died  at 
A.  .Vrmstnini;-,  G.  \V.  Anderson,  T.  .\ter;  J.  St.  Louis  l)eceml)er  _'5,  i8()i;  William  Muir, 
R.  Big-gs,  died  November  J  I,  1803,  of  woinids;  James  Moore,  W'.  R.  Me<!ca]l',  II.  I!.  Prose. 
S.  Bierfeldt,  L  Ba.shalm,  A.  I'.anta,  Henry  .Mexander  Perry,  Willi.nm  Steyer,  J.  W. 
Busby,  Lewis  Cook.  Charles  Corban,  S.  Cun-  Sleeper,  Jo.seph  X'in.son,  C.  Winter, 
ning-ham,  William  Donley.  William  Early,  B.  The  Twenty-lifth  Regiment  \v;is  recruited 
F.  I'.\ans.  J.  .S.  I'";i]l<ner,  Iv  i'"alster,  John  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  ! 861.  and  was  or- 
Gilmore,  Joseph  Hammer;  Jose])h  Hamilton,  ganized  in  August  at  Mattoou.  The  regiment 
died  at  St.  Louis  I-'ebruary  17,  1861;  Josei)h  was  assigned  to  the  Department  of  Missouri, 
Harvey;  J.  W.  Hopkins,  died  at  St.  Louis  and  proceeded  to  Jefferson  City,  which  was 
December  13.  1861;  I-'.  T.  Hopkins,  died  at  then  threatened  Ity  the  army  of  Gen.  Price, 
Lika,  Mississippi,  August  30.  1862;  George  fresh  from  its  dearly-bought  victory  at  Lex- 
Hopkins,  Joseph  Hyde.  J.  Henrv,  William  ington.  Here  the  Twenty-lifth  remained  nntd 
Hewitt,  J.  PL  Ishum  ;  H.  T.  James,  promoted  the  latter  part  of  September,  when  it  marched  to 
lio.spit.al  steward;  W.  I).  Jones;  (',.  Klink,  pro-  Sedalia,  and  was  assigned  to  Sigel's  famous 
moted  principal  musician;  William  Leyh;  division.  Here  it  remained  tnitil  the  middle  of 
Thomas  ALillott,  ])romoted  corporal,  sergeant  ( )ctober,  gaining  discipline,  foraging,  picket- 
and  second  lieutenant;  Claus  Moner;  F.  H.  iug,  etc.,  and  tlieu  followed  the  army  toward 
Morely,  died  at  Springfield,  Missouri,  I'ebru-  Springfield,  remaining  here  until  November, 
ary  19,  1862;  J.  Moore;  William  Newcomb,  when  Gen.  Hunter  assumed  command  of  the 
died  l'\'bruary  9,  1863.  of  wounds;  J.  I\  army,  and  moved  it  toward  Wilson's  Creek, 
Newell.  l{lihn  Parisli,  J.  C.  Perry;  W.  L.  the  scene  of  Gen.  Lyon's  famous  light.  This 
Prose,  ])romoted  corporal;  John  Rierdon;  (_'.  mo\ement  of  .SigxTs  dixisioii  was  but  a  ruse 
D.  Randolph,  promoted  cor[)oral ;  A.  Romine;  to  co\er  the  real  destination  of  the  .•uin\'.  .and 
R.  S.  Pobinsdii,  ])romoted  sergeant;  John  .S.  ,,11  ihc  i_:;tli  it  followed  the  mo\ement  of  the 
Sargeant,  R.  W.  See.  I*',.  II.  .Slace,  W.  R.  .Sack-  main  army  to  Roll;i,  where  it  remained  during 
ville,  H.  .'^tenglil,  J.  .M.  Si<lers;  W.  L.  Sowers,  the  winter.  (  )n  l-'ebruary  2.  1862,  (ien.  Curtis 
died  near  Ackworth.  (ieorgi;i.  June  13,  i8()4;  having  .assumed  command,  the  .army  ag.ain 
J'eter  Sipple,  A.  J.  Thompson;  J.  C.  Vestal,  took  up  its  line  of  march  toward  Springfield, 
promoted  corporal;  M.  Whittenliorg ;  John  where  the  rebel  Gen.  Price  had  concentrated 
Wilson,   died   ;it   Cbattanoog.-i    November   28,  his  forces.     The  Union  forces  .ag.ain  took  pes- 


54 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


session  of  tlie  city  on  the  I3tla  of  February, 
witliout  serious  opposition.  Then  began  an 
exciting  race  until  tlie  20tli,  when  tlie  pursuit 
was  aliandoncd.  and  the  troops  allowed  a  few 
days'  rest,  having-  marched  four  consecutive 
days  during  the  most  inclement  weather,  there 
being  six  inches  of  snow  on  the  ground  a  por- 
tion of  the  time,  and  skirmishing  with  the 
enemv  every  day  during  the  last  week's  march. 
Here  the  armv  remained  till  the  5th  of  March, 
when  it  became  evident  that  the  combined 
forces  of  Van  Dorn,  Price  and  McCulIough 
were  marching  to  give  battle,  and  accordingly, 
on  the  6th,  the  army  moved  toward  Sugar 
Creek  Valley  under  the  command  of  Curtis, 
Sigel,  Davis  and  Ashboth,  and  in  the  after- 
noon of  the  same  day  the  rear  guard  was  at- 
tacked .and  repulsed  by  the  enemy.  Thus  be- 
gan the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  which  resulted 
so  disastrouslv  U'  the  rebels,  and  in  which  this 
regiment  louk  a  prominent  ])art.  The  army 
remained  in  this  \icinity  until  the  5th  of  .'\pril, 
when  the  marcli  was  resumed  for  Forsythe, 
Missouri,  and  thence  to  Batesville,  Arkansas. 
Early  in  May  the  march  was  again  resumed, 
as  was  supposed  for  Little  Rock,  but  orders 
were  soon  received  detaching  some  ten  regi- 
ments under  orders  to  proceed  to  Cape  Gir- 
ardeau, on  the  Mississippi  river,  some  two  hun- 
dren  miles  distant,  and  from  thence  to  Pitts- 
burg Lanchng,  Tennessee,  by  water,  to  re-en- 
force the  troops  then  besieging  C(M'inth,  Mis- 
sissippi. The  regiment  reached  the  Landing 
(in  the  2r)th  of  May,  and  the  next  day  marched 
u])  to  within  supporting  distance  of  the  main 
army,  arriving  two  days  previous  to  the  evac- 
uation. After  the  pursuit  of  the  retreating  en- 
emy ceased  the  Twenty-fifth  was  ordered  to 
Kentucky,  where  it  took  part  in  the  memorable 


campaign  against  Bragg,  reaching  Perryville 
two  days  after  the  fight,  thence  proceeding  to 
Crab  Orchard,  Bowling  Green,  and  on  to 
Nashville.  Here  the  regiment  remained  until 
the  latter  ])art  of  Deceml)er,  when  the  Chat- 
tanooga campaign  began,  the  Twenty-fifth  tak- 
ing part  in  the  bloody  engagement  at  Stone 
River.  Spent  the  winter  at  Murfreesboro,  and 
the  spring  till  the  latter  part  of  June,  1863, 
when  the  movement  against  Chattanooga  was 
resumed.  The  regiment  took  part  in  the  vari- 
ous battles  and  skirmishes  which  led  up  to 
Chickamauga,  in  which  the  Twenty-fifth  was 
engaged.  Fell  back  to  Chattanooga,  where  it  re- 
mained until  the  latter  part  of  November.  On 
the  25th  of  this  month  the  regiment  took  part 
in  the  desperate  charge  on  Mission  Ridge.  Im- 
mediately after  this  battle  the  regiment  took 
]iart  in  the  forced  m.arch  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  to  the  relief  of  Knoxville,  arriving 
three  days  after  the  siege  had  been  raised  by 
(jcn.  Burnside.  From  this  point  the  regiment 
mo\ed  to  Blain's  Cross  Roads,  thence  to  Dand- 
ridge,  Tennessee.  From  this  point  the  army 
fell  back  to  Knoxville,  and  from  thence  to 
Kingston,  and  later  to  Cleveland,  Tennessee. 
From  this  point  in  May,  1864,  the  Twenty- 
fifth  moved  out  with  the  army  on  the  Atlanta 
campaign.  The  regiment  participated  in  most 
of  the  liattles  of  this  campaign  up  to  the  taking 
of  Atlanta,  when  it  was  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 5,  1864.  The  veterans  and  recruits  of  this 
regiment  were  consolidated  in  c)ne  company, 
designated  at  Company  H  of  the  Twenty-fifth 
Illinois  Infantry,  which  was  mustereil  out  at 
Victoria,  Texas,  September  i,  1865. 

FIFTY-FOURTH    ILLINOIS    INFANTRY 

In  this  regiment  Douglas  county  was  rep- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL.  55 


resented   hy  Company   IJ.      The  ei.inimissioned  tenant;    I\(i1)ert    Perrv,    N.    H.    C.    l\esin,    M. 

(iflicers  were :  Rogers,    William    Kliinelianlt.    f.    J'.    Roberts, 

John    Ross,    John    Shook,    Alelton    Sl.anshnry, 

Captains — S.  I!.  Logan,  till  Jnly  27,  TiSC)4;  Lemuel  Semmons,  James  Stinson,   11.  .Shnme- 

A.  B.  Balch,  till  September  18,  1865;  Gilmau  held,  1).  K.  Sluill,  h'.lijah  Zeigler. 

Noyes.  These  are  the  names  (jI"  those  from  1  )onglas 

First     Liciitciiiiiits — Johnson     White,     till  county,   the     bahuue    of    the    eomp;in\-   being 

April  JI,  i8(ij;  A.  .M.  llouston,  till  Mareh  11,  drawn    from   t.'oles  ;mil    Cumberl,-uid   conulies. 

i8f)3;    A.    li.    lialeh.    promoted    l'\>bruary    16,  The  comp.any  \\;is  leernited  in  the  summer  of 

1865;  Cjilman  \oyes,  promoted,  but  not  luus-  iSdi,  ;nid  \\;is  assigned  ;is  Company   I!  to  the 

tered.  iMfty-fom'th  Regiment,  rendezvoused  at  C;un]) 

Sccdiid  IJciilc'iiaiiis — A.  At.  ITonsfon,  pro-  1 'iibois,  .\nna,  Illinois.     This  regiment  \\;is  oi-- 

nioteil,    not    nuistereil;    A.    1'..    I'.alch,    July    9,  ganized  as  a  p;n1  of  the  "Kentuckv  l'>rig;ide,'" 

1863 ;  B.  C.  Pursell,  resigned  March   18,   1865:  in    the    formation    of    which    V..    ,Mct_art\-,    of 

R.   P).   McComb,  promoted,  hut  not   mustered.  I  >ouglas  county,  was  so  ])niminent. 

The  enlisted  men  were:  The  regiment  w;is  mustered  into  the  Uniled 
First  Sergeant — James  Shrew.  States  .service  February  18,  1862.    On  the  24th 
Sergeants — R.    P.    McComb,    \L    C.    Wal-  it  was  ordered  to  Cairo,  Illinois,  and  on  the 
ton,  Alex.  Rodgers  and  John  Scott.  14th  of  March  mo\ed  to  Columbus,  Kentucky. 
Ctirporals — Levi  Jester,  G.   P.    Ross,  John  Luring  the  fall  of   iHl)2  three  companies  were 
Haley,  W.  A.  (iriflin,  William  Moore,  li.  M.  stationed   at    llumbolt,   Tennessee,  but  on   the 
Thomp.stni,  J.  Bennett.  18th   of  December   the  regiment  was  ordered 
AFiisician — I.  W.  Ross.  to  J.ackson,   Tennessee.      Two  days   later  the 
Wagoner — Willi.im   Cosies.  I-'i fly- fourth    marched    to    Lexington,    l)\it    re- 
Frivates — F.  M.  .\br;uns,  Isaac  .\lliertz,  J.  turned  on  the  2ji\:  then  marche<l  to  R.rittoii's 
J'.  .Allison;  A.  B.  Balch,  ])romote(l  second  lieu-  1  ane  ;ind   Toone's  .Station,   returning  to  Lex- 
tenant;    Walter    Bailey,    ]•:.    R.    Bagley,    John  ington.      In    the   meantime   Gen.    lA)rrest  cap- 
Bear,  Simeon  Bennett,  S.  M.  Beem.an,  Cephas  tured    the   detachvd    poilions   of   the   regiment 
Carm;m.      Thom;is    Denning,    George    Dehart,  stationed  on  the  railro.ad.  ;ind  destroyed  nearly 
l)a\id    h'ord,    John     b'reddle;       M.     1'..    (h-o\e,  all  of  tin- regiment.al  iTconls.     The  bal;mce  were 
mustered  out  as  corjior.al  ;  J.   1).   1  lein-y,  ilied  at  lost  by  (he  (|narlerm,ister"s  dep.artmi'ut  in  tran- 
Memphis  November   10.   18(1;,;  W.  T.  Hughes,  sit    fiom   Columbus   to  J.ackson.      The  balance 
James  Jackson,   I!.   1  ).  Jones,   Robert   L.anghlin.  i.f    the    regiment    spent    llu'    winter   and    early 
G.    W.    Lester,   G.    Loper.   J.    1'.    Laughlin,    L.  spring  ;it   J.ackson,   two   comp.inies   being  sta- 
Leslie,  G.  W.   Montgomery,   R.   N.   AUTntyre,  tioneil  at   Medon  Sl.ilion.  ,nid  Iwn  :it  Toone's. 
Charles  McCaren,   G.    W.   Mussett,  John   Ma-  In  A|iiil  llu'  regimeiU  ina.le  a  fruitless  expedi- 
lone,  (;.  W.  Miller.  Robert  Montgomery,  Rich-  tion  to  Corinth  ;md  returned, 
ard    Martin,  J.    S.   Osborne,   L.   Owen,   James  May  _V'.  i8(._:i,  the  iMfty-foiuih  left  Jackson 
Overman;  B.  C.  Pur.sell,  promoted  .second  lieu-  lor  Vieksburg,  as  a  part  of  the  'Jdiird  Brigade, 


56 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Second  L^ivisicin.  Sixtccntli  Army  Corps,  under 
command  of  tien.  Nathan  Kimljall  as  division 
commander,  and  arrived  at  Haines'  Bluff,  on 
the  Yazoo  River,  June  2.  The  regiment  was 
subse(|uently  stationed  on  tlie  extreme  left  of 
Sherman's  command  on  tlie  Big  P)lack,  con- 
fronting Johnston's  army,  on  the  Canton  road. 
After  the  fall  of  Vicksburg,  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  Helena,  as  a  part  of  Gen.  Steele's 
ex])edition  against  Little  Rock.  Arkansas.  The 
expedition  reached  its  destination  _  in  Septem- 
ber, and  the  Fifty-fourth  was  retained  until 
the  following  January,  1864,  when  three- 
fourths  of  the  regiment  re-enlisted. 

The  veterans  of  Company  B  were:  Isaac 
Aliiertz;  Henry  Barrick,  mustered  out  as  first 
sergeant;  Joseph  Bennett;  Cephas  Carman; 
William  Cheeney;  G.  A.  Dehart;  Thomas  Den- 
ning; Duncan  Fletcher;  \Villiam  Hughes; 
Thomas  Irwin:  B.  I).  Jones;  James  Jackson; 
Levi  Jester,  mustered  out  as  sergeant;  J.  V. 
Lauglilin,  mustered  out  as  corjioral ;  R.  Laugh- 
lin;  E.  Leslie,  mustered  out  as  sergeant;  G.  \V. 
Lester,  mustered  out  as  corporal ;  Charles  ]\Ic- 
Caren;  R.  B.  McComb,  mustered  out  as  ser- 
geant; P.  Cornelius,  mustered  out  as  corporal; 
William  Rhinehart;  M.  Rogers;  I.  W.  Ross; 
John  Scott;  E.  C.  Walton;  John  Writner. 

Recruit.s — Michael  Fitzgerald,  Samuel 
Montgomery.  Re-enlisted  as  veteran — C.  H. 
Newbanks.  Tlie  regiment  was  nuistered  out 
February  9,  18(14,  ami  left  for  Mattoon.  Illi- 
nois, in  March,  on  veteran   furlough. 

fust  l)efore  its  return  to  the  field,  the  regi- 
ment was  involved  in  a  most  tnifortunate  oc- 
currence. There  was  in  Coles  county  an  ele- 
ment which  was  radically  opposed  to  the  war. 
The  regiment  had  been  ordered  to  move,  but, 
under  advice  of  some  radical  unionists  its  de- 


])arture  was  delayed  a  few  hours,  as  the  con- 
vening circuit  court,  it  was  thought,  would 
bring  the  element  opposed  to  the  war  out  in  full 
force.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  these  people 
acted  "with  zeal  not  according  to  knowledge," 
and  the  return  of  certain  portions  of  the  regi- 
ment to  the  county  seat  made  a  conflict  with  the 
"irreconcilables"  inevitaljle.  A  conflict  fol- 
lowed, the  "copperhead"  faction  led  by  a 
county  officer,  and  certain  ])ortions  of  the  regi- 
ment, unarmed  but  somewhat  excited  by  licpior, 
under  the  semi-official  direction  of  its  officers. 
Riotous  action  followed,  in  which  Maj.  Shul:)al 
York,  the  surgeon  of  the  regiment,  was  killed, 
and  four  privates  and  Col.  G.  M.  Mitchell  were 
wounded.  A  number  of  the  citizens  were 
wduntled.  One  hour  later  the  main  portion  of 
the  regiment  arrived  from  Mattoon  and  occu- 
pied the  town,  arresting  some  of  the  opposing 
faction,  and  wounding  several  citizens.  The 
affair  ended  with  an  investigation  by  the  mili- 
tary authorities,  wilhout  changing  results  or  the 
punishment  of  anybodv.  The  affair  created 
great  excitement  in  the  country  around. 

The  regiment  moved  to  the  front  in  April ; 
to  Cairo  on  the  12th,  to  Columbus  on  the  14th, 
Paducah  on  the  i6th,  and  arrived  at  Little  Rock 
on  the  30tb..  Here  the  regiment  remained  until 
May  18,  when  it  moved  out  to  Brownville,  and 
thence  in  pursuit  of  Gen.  Shelby,  arriving  at 
Little  RiKk  on  the  30th  of  that  month.  After 
remaining  here  until  the  latter  part  of  June, 
when  the  Fifty-fourth  again  went  in  pursuit 
of  Shelby,  marching  to  Duvall's  Bluff  and 
Clarendon,  striking  him  on  the  26th,  and  after 
a  spirited  fight  returned  to  Little  Rock.  Au- 
gust 5  the  regiment  was  assigned  to  guard  six- 
teen miles  of  the  Memphis  &  Little  Rock  Rail- 
road, having  five  stations,  with  two  companies 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


57 


at  each.  On  the  -'4tli  Slielliy  made  a  descent 
upon  tliese  detachments  in  detail  with  ionr 
tliousand  men  and  four  pieces  of  artillery,  caj)- 
turing-  one  station.  Si.x  companies  were  con- 
centrated at  one  station  liy  Col.  Mitchell,  and 
maintained  a  stulihorn  resistance  for  fi\e  hom's. 
when,  their  hay  hreastworks  being  fired  hy  the 
enemy's  shells,  the  garrison  was  driven  out  and 
captured  in  fragments.  The  loss  of  the  regi- 
ment in  this  rii;ht  was  one  lieutenant  ami  thir- 
teen men  killed  ;uid  thirty-five  woundeil.  t'om- 
panies  V  and  II.  at  a  distant  station,  were  not 
molested.  The  cajitured  part  of  the  regiment 
were  paroled  at  jacksonport.  Arkansas,  and 
moved  to  Benton  llarracks,  St.  Loms,  where 
it  arrived  September  <j,  1864.  The  regiment 
was  exchanged  December  5,  1864,  and  was 
mo\ed  to  Hickory  Station,  on  the  Memphis  & 
Little  Rock  Railroad.  J.inuary  18,  18^)3,  where 
it  remained  as  railroad  guard  until  June  6. 
The  I'ifty-fonrlh  was  then  ordered  to  Line 
I'lhilt.  where  it  remained  some  twn  months.  It 
then  |)roceeded  to  l'"(i|-t  ."^mith,  where  it  re- 
niained  until  ( )clober.  It  was  then  ordered  to 
Little  Rock,  where  it  was  nuistered  out  October 
15,  1865;  arri\ed  at  Camp  Butler,  Illinois,  Oc- 
tober 26.  and  was  discharged.  DiuMng  its  ex- 
istence, the  l'"ifty-t'ourth  Regiment  had  one 
thousand,  three  hundred  and  forty-two  en- 
listed men,  and  seventy-one  commissioned  of- 
ficers. 

SENENTV-NINIIl     ILLINOIS    INF.\NTRV. 

This  regiment  was  mure  coni]iletely  identi- 
fied with  Douglas  connty  than  any  other  in 
the  service,  .\mong  the  liekl  ol"ficers  were  Allen 
Buckner,  major,  promoted  to  colonel  March 
15,  1863;  W.  H.  Lamb,  adjutant;  first  assistant 


surgeon,  Henry  C.  AIcAllister,  promoted  sur- 
geon of  the  Ninety-eighth  Illinois  Tnf.autry; 
secontl  assistant  surgeon,  Thomas  J.  Wheeler, 
])romoted  surgeon  March  i,  1865;  cha])lain, 
C.  C.  Bradshaw.  I""our  companies  of  the  Sev- 
enty-ninth were  recruited  in  Douglas  county, 
Companies  B,  E,  G  and  K.  The  commissioned 
officers  of  Company  B  were : 

Ciipttiiiis — .\rchibald  Van  Dereu.  i)romoted 
major  January  i,  i8()3:  H.  D.  T'itman,  till  No- 
vember 6,  1864;  Peter  Creggers,  till  muster  out 
of  regiment. 

I'irsI  Lii-ulriiaiils — S.  L.  Woodwortb,  till 
I'\'l)ruary  2,  1863;  H.  D.  Pitman,  till  January 
I,  1863;  Peter  Greggers,  till  November  6,  1864; 
T.   B.  Hammer,  j)romoted.  but  not  mustered. 

Second  LicutciHiiits — H.  W.  Rideout,  till 
February  10,  1863;  Peter  Greggers,  till  Janu- 
ary I.  i8r)3;  J.  B.  Hammer,  promoted,  but  not 
mustered.  The  enlisted  men  from  Douglas 
were : 

I'irsI  Scri^i'diil — O.  L.  Woodward,  dietl  ;it 
Bowling  Green,  December  _'-.   i8f)_'. 

S(-r!:;i'aiils — H.  D.  Pitman,  promoted  to  first 
heuten.mt:  J.  B.  Hammer,  commissioned  .sec- 
(  nd  lieutenant,  but  not  mustered;  ICdw-ard  Den- 
nis, died  in  .Vudersonville,  July  30,  1864;  John 
.Abbott,  transferred  to  \eteran  Reserve  Corps, 
.\ugust  j8,  1863. 

(■<;;•/'< I n;/,v — S.  M.  Lester.  W.  .M.  I'.eedle. 
M.  L.  Westfall,  .\rcliiba1d  l.iiUim,  Thomas 
Jester,  mustered  out  as  sergeant:  L.  C.  Smith, 
Peter  Greggers.  i)romote<l  second  lieutenant. 

Musicians— W.  R.  Wallace,  B.  F.  Ward. 

U'ui^diicr — G.  \V.  Stevenson. 

Privates — Lafayette  Abbott,  died  at  Louis- 
ville. Kentucky,  October  8.  1862;  W.  A. 
Brown;   W.  A.   Buoy;  Henry  Banta;   Albert 


58 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Castor:  J-  E.  Davis;  I.  N.  Doman,  died  at  Lib- 
erty (iap,  Tennessee,  June  25,  1863  ;  John  Dar- 
jahn;   Clinton   Davis;   Milton   Davis,   died   at 
Mnrfreesboro,  June  i,  1863;  Silas  Daggy,  pro- 
moted to  quartermaster  sergeant ;  Jacob  Frahm ; 
John  Grant;  Peter  Gulk,  died  at  Andersonville 
Prison.  Tulv  20,  1864;  John  Goodson;  Henry 
Grimm:  J.  Hibbs;  William  Hiblis,  died  at  Mnr- 
freesboro, February  9,  1863;  Charles  Howard; 
Larkin  E.  Jones,  mustered  out  as  corporal ;  M. 
James;  C.  James,  mustered  out  as  corporal; 
Benjamin  Jester;  Solomon  Johnson,  mustered 
out  as  corporal ;  Peter  Kruize;  George  Kruize, 
nuistered  out  as  corporal ;  A.  J.  Lyght ;  H.  Lo- 
man;  Asa  Love,  died  at  Nashville,  December 
8,  1862;  Thomas  Lester,  died  at  Murfreesljoro, 
March   7,    1863;   Virgil   Lester;  John   Lewis, 
died  at  Murfreesboro,  February  17,  1863;  T. 
J.  Lewis;  W.  D.  Martin;  C.  G.  Miller;  W.  P. 
Miller;   Robert   McAllister;    William    Manus; 
Cyrus  Muire;  G.  W.   Nelson,  died  at  Nashville, 
December    14.    1862;   E.    T.    Romine;   Daniel 
Romine;  H.  T.  Ring;  Jasper  Roderick;  Perry 
Roderick  and  C.  W.  Rea.  died  at  Nashville; 
J.  R.  Rea;  C.  W.  Rose:  J.  S.  Rush,  died  at 
Louisville.    Deceml)er  4.    1862;    Samuel    Ran- 
dolph, died  at  Chattanooga.  March  6,   1864; 
David  and  J.  M.  Randolph;  J.  H.  Randolph, 
died  at  Chattanooga,  June  4,  1864;  W.  T.  Rice, 
killed  at  Resaca;  Allen  Rea;  G.  W.  Sharpe;  Al- 
bert  Siler,   nnistered   out  as  corporal;    O.   T. 
Smith;  B.  F.  Shreves;  F.  Stally,  mustered  out 
as  corporal ;  George  Stovall ;   Peter  Schnack ; 
Hans  Schnack;   B.  F.  Terry;  J.   Veach.  died 
at    Murfreesboro.    March    16,    1863:    William 
Vinson;  G.  C.  Wilson;  J.  C.  Wilson;  Edward 
\\'ebb;  H.  J.   Wilkins,  died  at  Jeffersonville, 
Indiana,  December  18,  1864;  James  Waller;  B. 
F,  Wilson;  W.  B.  Watts,  died  at  Murfreesboro, 


January  6,  1863;  Rudoliib  Yost,  killed  at  Res- 
aca, May  14,  1864. 

Company  E. — The  commissioned  officers  of 
this  company  were : 

Captains — William  A.  Low,  promoted  ma- 
jor July  14.  1864;  H.  S.  Albin,  promoted 
March  20.  1865,  not  musteretl. 

first  Licii/riiaiits—U.  J.  Bassett,  till  No- 
vember 20.  1862;  H.  S.  Albin.  till  March  20, 
1865;  J.  C.  Perry. 

Second  Lieutenants — H.  S.  Albin,  till  No- 
vember 20,  1862;  H.  W.  Peters,  killed  January 
2,  1863;  J.  C.  Perry,  till  March  20,  1865.  En- 
listed men : 

First  Sergeant — H.  W.  Peters,  promoted 
second  lieutenant. 

Sergeants — J.  C.  Perr\-,  promoted  second 
lieutenant:  J.  G.  Hughes,  died  at  Nashville. 
December  19,  1862;  \\'.  R.  Laugbead.  mustered 
out  as  first  sergeant;  D.  H.  Howard,  dieil  in 
Andcrsonx  ille  [irison,  .'August  16,  1864,  Grave 
No.  5812. 

Corporals — Anson  Skinner,  mustered  out  as 
sergeant :  W.  T.  Potts,  John  Skinner,  mustered 
out  as  sergeants;  Samuel  Hawkins,  captured 
at  Chickamauga  :  J.  Hopkins,  died  at  Nashville; 
Aaron  Britton.  died  in  Andersi.in\'i]le  prison; 
J.  P.  Ross. 

Musicians — 1.  W.  and  W.  H.  Covert. 

'.ragiiner — J.  H.  Boyce.  died  at  Nash- 
ville. 

Privates— V,.  11.  Adams;  W.  H.  Allison; 
\\'illiam  Brockett.  killed  at  Stone  River,  De- 
cember 31.  1862;  O.  Brewer:  W.  R.  Ih-owu; 
W.  T.  Bundy,  died  at  Gallatin,  Tennessee,  Jan- 
uary 10,  1863;  W.  Boyce;  Thomas  Bull,  died 
at  Danville,  Kentucky,  January  4,  18^13;  P. 
Chezem;  H.  Catler;  Alexander  Coslett,  died  at 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


59 


Bowling  Green.  Novcmher  6,  1862;  George 
Crist;  A.  A.  Craft;  J.  II.  Coslctt.  died  at  Nash- 
ville, January  5.  1863  ;  P.  Cot^n.  killed  at  Stone 
River,  December  31,  1862;  H.  D.  Craft;  F. 
Dixon;  John  Durhorow;  \^'illianl  Dillon, 
killed  .-it  Stone  River,  December  31,  1862;  E. 
Drake;  H.  Entler;  John  Fairbairn;  A.  E. 
Fullcrton;  Isaac  Glass,  died  at  Nashville, 
December  9.  i8()_>;  S.  Gillogly.  mustered  out 
as  corporal;  Alcx.nidcr  Hess;  E.  Howard  and 
Frank  Hensely,  die<l  at  Nashville;  G.  II.  Hess, 
mustered  out  as  corporal ;  John  Hawkins;  J.  O. 
Harvey:  John  Harris;  R.  B.  Helm;  R.  W. 
Harrison;  W.  H.  Jones;  B.  F.  Knipe;  W.  S. 
Kni])e;  Jacob  Knii)e;  J.  H.  Lyon;  Charles 
Lyon;  J.  J.  Moss;  L.  Morton;  P.  Miller;  W.  P. 
McWilliams;  W.  Murphy;  W.  P.  McCoo! ;  E. 
B.  Nell;  George  I'ettit,  killed  near  Marietta, 
Georgia,  July  4.  1864;  E.  S.  Root;  G.  W.  Rit- 
Icr;  W.  II.  Ritter.  died  in  Richmond  prison, 
December  5.  1864;  M.  Reeves:  T.  W.  Stilwell. 
died  in  Andersonx  ille  |)ris(in.  (  )ctuber  _'8.  |8C)4; 
F.  Sliafer;  Joseph  Sluile;  John  Smith;  J.  1!. 
Stilhvcll,  died  at  Chatanooga,  June  _''i,  i8()4; 
J.  L.  Stewart,  died  at  Nashville.  July  _'4,  1863; 
H.  Surber;  Henry  Stillwell;  J.  M.  Slice;  Wil- 
li;ini  Skinner,  nuistered  out  as  sergeant;  D.  S. 
Tucker:  G.  Vanasdel ;  .\  .W'ylie;  G.  Wells; 
J.  Whittaker:  J.  H.  Wells,  died  at  Murfrecs- 
boro.  May  jj,  1803;  J.  P.  Worrell;  J.  I!. 
Yaw. 

RiUriiits — S.  T.  r.nndiu'.iiit  ;  |.  M.  Cogg- 
sliell.  mustered  out  as  ciir])iiral;  R.  T.  Ilav\e\', 
mustered  out  as  sergeant;  \'.  T.  Norris, 
wounded  at  Kenes.aw  ;  William  Tmbvville, 
mustered  c)Ut  as  curpdral. 

.CoMP.\NY  G. — The  conmiissioned  officers 
were : 


Caf^fains — 01i\cr  O.  Bagley,  till  Novcml)cr 
C:.  1864;  A.  J.  Jones,  till  muster  out  of  regiment. 

I'irst  Lieutenants — M.  L.  Lininger.  till 
November  19,  1862:  T.  B.  Jacobs,  till  April 
7.  1863;  Montraville  Reeves,  till  May  4,  1864; 
A.  J.  Jones,  till  promoted  November  6,  1864; 
Thomas  Meeker,  who  was  prisoner  of  was  at 
the  nuister  c)ut  of  the  regiment. 

Second  Liciileihints — T.  B.  Jacobs,  till  i)ro- 
inoted  November  K).  1862;  Albert  J.  Jones, 
till  M.ay  4,  1864. 

The  enlisted  men  were: 

First  Sergeant — A.  J.  Jcnies,  piduidted 
second  lieutenant. 

Sergeants — -Thomas  Meeker.  ])ri>moted 
while  prisoner  of  war;  llar\-ev  tngrim.  Jnhu 
Cummings,  John  Madder. 

Carf^arals — H.  C.  Jones,,  nuistered  out  ;ts 
sergeant;  P>.  Jacubs,  killed  at  .Stime  l\i\ci'. 
December  31.  i8Cj;|"..  |.  I'.arnett:  S.  k".  Willis; 
A.  Higgiiis;  John  Pall;  R.  (i.  McCiiiurs;  j. 
S.  Reeves. 

Miisieidus — W.    WiidilburN-;    II.    Ilelkin. 

//  'agduer — Laugbliu  ,  Stew  art. 

Pri^vtes — James  Paruett:  Tliom;is  Pr.an- 
don;  David  Ball,  killed  at  Stoiie  River:  Allen 
I'.ryaiit:  j.Fu  P.n.ckett:  II.  II.  Clark;  k".  1). 
Clark;  A.  C.  Clark;  J;nnes  Coslett;  Isaac  Cos- 
lell:  Cl;irk  Cazard ;  T.  A.  Clark:  .Alexander 
Daw  sou,  died  at  X;isli\ille.  k\'bru;iry  1.  1863; 
D.aniel  Deli.art:  I\l.  C.  Drake,  mustered  nut  ;ts 
ci>rp(ir,il;  W.  M.  Drake,  unisteri'd  out  as  cur- 
p(ir,il  F.  W.  I'lastiin:  bacdb  k"ry.  died  at  Gal- 
l.-iliu,  December  15.  i8()_':  j.  P.  k'ry;  James 
Inirman;  W.  IF  b'niggelt :  lieers  Guire,  died  at 
Nashville,  y\pril  18,  1864:  C.  Harlowe;  I. 
Henderson;  F.  A.  Holstnii;  J.anies  H.ariJcr, 
Jr.,  J.  A.  Hill;  h>hn  Ingrini;  George  Ingrini, 
died  at   leffersonville,   Indiana,  December   17, 


6o 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


1864;  Isaac  Ingrim,  died  at  Nashville,  Decem- 
ber 8,  1862;  Herd  Ingrim;  P.  L.  Jones;  James 
Jacobs,  died  at  Bowling  Green,  January  18, 
1863;  James  Kess,  died  at  Galatin,  January 
12,  1863;  Alexander  Lana,  died  at  Gallatin, 
January  15,  1863;  J.  W.  Lett,  died  at  Nash- 
ville, January  11.  1863; J.  W.  Martin;  James 
Munson;  James  Meek;  William  McShane; 
T.  W.  McDowell;  E.  Osliorn,  died  in  Hart 
county,  Kentucky,  November  26,  1862;  B.  F. 
Osborn,  died  at  Annapolis,  Maryland,  February 
6,  1863;  Thos.  Robinson;  W.  H.  Rake:  N. 
Stephen;  S.  Sears,  died  at  Nashville;  William 
Sites;  John  Thomason;  L.  Thomason.  died  at 
Chatanooga.  July  3,  1864;  Elisha  Tinker;  W. 
P.  Updike:  W.  D.  West,  died  at  Gallatin.  Ten- 
nessee, February  14,  1863;  John  Willis;  S.  S. 
Weathers ;  John  Whirl. 

Recruits — J.  S.  Osborn,  killed  at  Rocky 
Face  Ridge,  May  9.  1864:  M.  Reeves,  promoted 
first  sergeant  and  then  first  lieutenant. 

Company  K. — Tlie  commissioned  t)fticers 
of  the  company  were : 

Captains — H.  D.  Martin,  till  July  3.  1863; 
W.  W.  Davis,  till  March  6,  1864;  W.  H.  Bas- 
sett.  promoted  March  6.  1864,  but  not  mus- 
tered. 

First  Lieutenants —  W.  W.  Davis,  till  July 
3.  1S63 ;  W.  H.  Bassett,  till  March  6,  1864;  W. 
H.  Hutchenson. 

Second  Licnienanis — Moses  Hunter,  till 
October  19,  1862:  1.  P.  C.  Taylor,  till  June  6. 
1863;  W.  H.  Bassett,  till  July  3,  1863;  W.  H. 
Hutchenson. 

The  enlisted  men  from  Douglas  county 
were: 

First  Sergeant — I.  P.  C.  Taylor,  promoted 
second  lieutenant. 


Sergeants — \\'.  H.  Hutchenson,  promoted 
first  sergeant,  then  first  lieutenant :  D.  C. 
Hutciiinson:  J.  Douner;  G.  W.  Allen,  pro- 
moted sergeant  major. 

Corporals — H.  C.  Waller,  died  at  Nash- 
viiJe,  December  3,  1864;  R.  Walch;  C.  Royrk; 
C.  Brawnch,  i)romoted  sergeant  and  died  in 
Andersonville  prison,  June  i,  1864,  number  of 
g'Mve  1619;  Lewis  Zeller. 

Wagoner — A.  P.  Reeves,  died  near  Ste- 
phenson, Alabama,  October  21.   1863. 

Privates — N.  Aldrid,  died  in  Danville, 
Virginia,  January  22,  1864,  while  prisoner  of 
war;  Joseph  Brand,  died  at  Nashville,  January 
4.  1863;  W.  H.  Bassett,  promoted  first  ser- 
geant, then  first  lieutenant;  John  Beedle; 
Samuel  Chauney,  died  at  Andersonville  prison, 
October  6,  1864,  numlier  of  grave,  10459; 
John  Chauney;  William  Chandler,  died  at 
Nashville,  December  21,  1862;  John  Fliss; 
Stephen  Eliss,  died  at  Annapolis,  Maryland, 
February  15,  1863;  Pin'lip  Eaton,  died  in  Dan- 
ville, Kentucky,  October  20,  1862:  Jesse  Ea- 
vins:  Edward  Franklin;  Barton  Fallin,  died  at 
Tullahoma,  Tennessee,  July  5,  1863;  James 
Fallin ;  Andrew  Hayes ;  Eli  How  ;  John  Hun- 
ter, died  near  Murfreesboro:  Henry  C.  Jones; 
Felix  Lardenois:  James  Loyd,  died  at  Mur- 
freesboro, July  I,  1863;  J.  H.  Lett;  J.  N. 
Louthan,  mustered  out  as  sergeant:  (i.  W. 
Maxon.  mustered  out  as  corporal:  Thomas 
McConley,  promoted  corporal,  died  in  Jeffer- 
son liarracks,  December  22,  J864:  Hugh  Mc- 
Kinney,  promoted  corporal ;  Thomas  Morri- 
son; John  Monien;  Elihu  Monsell ;  George 
Near:  Israel  Price:  Lewis  Pfifer:  Levi  Rem- 
niel ;  S.  T.  Renmiel ;  Jacob  Remmel:  John 
Row;  James  Riley;  Jawes  Standafer,  died 
at  Nashville,  March  31,  1863;  D.  E.  Shull;  S. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


61 


Simmons,  died  at  Xaslivilie,  November  ,^o, 
1862;  \V.  B.  Templeton;  G.  Waldmf,  died  at 
Chattanooga,  June  24.  i8()4;  W.  II.  Wright; 
E.  G.  S.  Wright ;  All)ert  Wood,  died  at  Nash- 
viUc,  l)eceni1)er  28,  1862;  Henry  Wood,  cUed 
al  Danville,  Virginia,  Feljruary  1,  1864,  while 
a  prisoner  of  \v;ir ;  J.  V.  West,  died  at  Nash- 
ville, iMay  7,  i^'>J,\  Alexander  West;  Henry 
Wolf. 

Ri-cntils — Martin     Minniet;     Leonard     C. 
Taylor,  mustered  out  as  sergeant. 

The  Seventy-ninth  Illinois  Inf.antry  was 
organized  at  M;ttloon,  Illinois,  in  August, 
iXf)2,  hy  t_'ol.  Lyman  (iuinnip.  ;ind  was  mus- 
tered into  the  I'nited  States  service  August 
22,  i8r)_>.  (_)n  .Sei)teml)er  12,  the  regiment 
moved  under  orders  to  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
where  it  was  assigned  the  Third  ih-igadc  of 
Craft's  division  of  the  army  of  Kentucky.  On 
the  29th  it  was  transferred  to  the  Fourth  Bri- 
gade of  the  Second  Division,  October  i.  1862, 
the  .Seventv-ninth  commenced  the  march 
through  Kentucky  with  the  army.  .\t  I'rank- 
fort  it  was  tran>ferred  to  the  ]'"iflh  iSrigade. 
The  regiment  reached  Lerryville,  Kentucky,  ijn 
October  ().  and  continued  its  march  thence  to 
C"rab  (  )rchanl,  Lebanon,  IViwling  Creen  and 
Nasluille,  Tennessee,  rciching  the  latter  i)lace 
on  the  jlh  of  November.  (  )clober  17,  Col. 
(iuinnip  resigning,  Lieut.  Col.  S.  1'.  Reed  w;is 
])romoted  colonel.  Mere  the  regiment  re- 
m;iincd  until  Deccmlier,  when  it  moved  out  with 
the  armv  toward  Murfreesboro,  .and  on  the  31st 
engagetl  in  the  l)attle  of  Stone  River.  Col. 
Reed  was  killed  early  in  the  action,  and  the 
Command  devolved  u])on  M;ij.  I'.uckner.  The 
Se\-enty-ninth  was  engaged  until  the  4th  of 
January.  1863,  losing  one  officer  killed,  three 
wounded  and  three  missing;  twenty-three  men 


killed,  si.xty-eight  wounded,  and  one  hundred 
and  twenty-one  missing.  During  the  winter 
the  regiment  remained  at  Murfreesboro.  ;mil 
were  assigned  to  the  Second  Brigade,  Second 
Division,  Twentieth  Army  Corps,  .\pril  25, 
1863,  Maj.  Buckner  was  promoted  to  colonel. 
June  24,  1863,  the  regiment  move  to  Lil)- 
erty  Gap,  and  on  the  following  day  engaged 
the  enemy,  losing  Capt.  John  I'atton,  killetl; 
Capt.  H.  D.  Martin,  mortally  wounded;  Capt. 
Lacey  and  Lieuts.  I'onlke,  Jones  and  King, 
wounded;  five  men  killed  and  thirty-six 
wounded.  The  division  then  moved  to  Tul- 
lahoma,  and  on  the  lOth  of  Augu.st  crossed 
the  Cumberland  Mountains,  the  Tennessee 
river,  Sand  Mountain,  Lookout  Mountain,  and 
went  into  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  in  which 
the  regiment  was  engaged  during  the  19th  and 
20th  of  Septem^jer.  Its  loss  in  this  light  w;is 
seven  officers  missing,  four  men  killed,  thir- 
teen wounded  and  ninety-seven  nfissing.  I  )n 
the  evening  of  the  20th  the  Seventy-ninth  fell 
back  to  L'hattanooga  with  the  army.  While 
here,  the  regiment  was  rc-a.ssigned,  being 
placed  to  the  Third  Brigade  (Col.  C.  (i.  Ilar- 
ker's).  Second  Division,  (ien.  Sherid.an. 
l'"om1h  Ai-mv  Cor])s,  comm.anded  by  ( ien. 
Cr.inger.  When  the  Army  of  the  CumberLand 
broke  fiMm  its  i)rison  at  Ch;Ut;mooga  .and 
.assailed  I'r.agg  in  his  monnt.ain  fastness,  the 
.Seventv  ninth took.an  active  i)art  in  the  engage- 
menls  that  followed  on  the  J_](\.  24th  ,and  23th 
of  November,  and  on  the  25th  stormed  Mission 
Ridge,  capturing  two  jjieccs  of  artillery.  On 
the  27th,  the  regiment  accomi).anied  the  l-'ourth 
Corjis  in  that  famous  march  to  Kuo.wille.  Ten- 
nessee, going,  however,  to  lll.ain's  t.'ross-roads, 
and  remaining  there  till  January  15,  1864, 
when  it  advancetl  to  Dandridge,  but  fell  back 


62 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


two   clays   later   to   Knoxville.      The   Second 
Division  being  ordered  to  Loudon,  the  Seven- 
ty-ninth went  to  Sweetwater,  forty-two  miles 
south  of  Knoxville,  on  the  railroad,  where  it 
remained  during  the  larger  part  of  the  spring, 
moving  to  Cleveland  in  the  latter  part  of  April. 
On  the  opening  of  the  Atlanta  campaign, 
the  regiment  moved  forward  with  Gen.  New- 
ton in  command  of  the  division,  and  Gen.  How- 
ard in  command  of  the  corps.     The  movement 
l)egan  May  3,  1864,  and  on  the  9th  the  regiment 
took  part  in  its  first  engagement  of  the  cam- 
paign at  R(jcky  Face  Ridge;  then  followed  a 
series  of  heavy  engagements,  at  Resaca,  May 
13  and   14;  Dallas,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  June 
27;  Peach  Tree  Creek,  July  20;  Atlanta,  July 
22,  27,  and  August  3 ;  Jonesboro,  Septemljer  i , 
and  Love  joy  on  the  2d  of  September.     The 
losses    of  the  regiment  in  this  campaign  were 
four  officers  wounded,  six  enlisted  men  kdled 
and  fifty-three  wounded.     In  the  latter  part  of 
September,  the  corps  was  ordered  back  to  Chat- 
tanooga under  the  command  of  Gen.  Stanley. 
The     Seventy-ninth     moved     to     Bridgeport, 
Alabama,  and  remained  there  till  October  19, 
when  it  returned  to  Chattanooga.    While  here 
it  made  an  expedition  to  Alpine  Pass  and  re- 
turned, and  then  moved  to  Pulaski,  Tennes- 
see.    Held  that  position  until  November  22, 
when  it  commenced  to  fall  back  to  Nashville 
with    the   army.      At    Franklin,    the    Seventy- 
ninth   was  engaged   four  hours,   losing   three 
officers  and  eighty  men  killed,  wounded  and 
captured,  out  of  two  hundred  and  ten  veteran 
troops.      That   night    fell    back   to    Nashville, 
where,   on   the  29th,   Pat   Cleborne's   division 
attacked  the  brigade  and  drove  it  into  the  city. 
On  the  15th  and  i6th  of  December,  the  battle 
of  Nashville  occurred,  in  which  the  Seventy- 


ninth  took  an  active  part,  and  joined  in  the 
subsequent  pursuit  as  far  as  the  Tennessee 
river.  The  Third  Brigade  was  then  sent  to 
Decatur,  Alabama,  arriving  there  January  6, 
1865.  March  30,  the  brigade  moved  to  Bull's 
Gap  by  rail,  sixty  miles  east  of  Knoxville, 
Tennessee,  where  it  remained  until  April  22, 
and  then  went  to  Nashville.  Here  the  Seventy- 
ninth  was  stationed  until  it  was  musterd  out 
June  12,  1865.  It  subsequently  arrived  at 
Camp  Butler,  Illinois,  June  15,  and  June  23  re- 
ceived final  pay  and  discharge.  In  April,  1S64, 
the  county  court  ordered  a  regimental  Hag, 
which  was  presented  to  the  regiment. 

ONE     HUNDRED     AND     THIRTY-FIFTH      ILLINOIS 
INFANTRY. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Mattoon, 
and  mustered  into  the  one  hundred-days'  service 
June  6,  1864.  Of  this  regiment  Company  G 
was  recruited  in  Douglas  county.  The  com- 
missioned officers  were:  Derrick  Lamb,  cap- 
tain; James  Easton,  first  lieutenant;  J.  T. 
Switzer,  second  lieutenant.  The  enlisted  men 
from  Douglas  county  were  : 

First  Sergeant — J.  H.  I'errine. 

Sergeants — Charles  Skinner,  died  at  Jef- 
ferson City,  Missouri,  July  7,  1864;  J.  Z.  Lin- 
ton; P.  Kinder,  O.  Adams. 

Corporals — William  Bays,  promoted  ser- 
geant; I.  Watkins,  Charles  Dickens,  A.  Flem- 
ing, D.  Jenkins,  B.  McAllister,  T.  J.  Bagley. 
Charles  Balen. 

Musicians — Austin  Bishop;  John  Crowley. 

IVagoncr — Thomas  Donnelly. 

Privates — I.  Allison;  Erastus  Badler;  W. 
II.  Bard;  A.  C.  Bragg;  F.  M.  and  Alexander 
Bragg;  P.  Burton;  S.  Bye;  B.  F.  Barkley;  C. 


mOGRAPHlCAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  63 

H.  Balch,  died  at  Benton  Barracks,  June  29,  mustered  out  as  first  sergeant;  T.   J.  Bagley; 

1864;  J.   Bogard;  B.   Bogard:   L.   IXaniel;   C.  Martin  l^.radford. 

Dragoo;  C.  M.  Donica,  promoted  corporal:  J.  Corporals — J.  W.  I\(iln-l)augh  ;  I.  II.  Wat- 
Dale;  J.  R.  JCrland  ;  W.  H.  H.  luistim;  II.  M.  kins;  E.  K.  Tli(>m])son,  mustered  out  as  ser- 
Franz,  died  at  Benton  liarracks  June  23,  1864;  geant ;  L.  Oslinrn:  11.  I'".  Ilarklev;  I'",.  Ilrewer; 
G.   Ford;  J.   Garrett;   William   Calls:   (1.    W.  A.  A.  Thomas. 

Goodson,    promoted    corporal:    J.     R.     Hull;  Musicians — .\.  .V.  Kertz ;  S.  I'.rewer. 

Thomas  Haskell:  N.  Holden;  N.  Howard:  E.  ll'agoiicr — Richard    l)a\is,    killed    hy   rail- 

C.   Holiday:  J.    Kennedy:    E.    Lay:    .\.    Long;  mad  accident,  near  Chattanooga,  I'"chrnary  _'6, 

J.  R.  Leslie;  A.  Moore;  J.  N.   McKinney;  J.'  1SO5. 

N.  Mosharger;  F.  M.  Maddo.x,  died  in  Jeffer-  I'riratrs — \\'illi;un  llavs,  promoted  to  sec- 
son  City.  Mis.souri,  August  4,  1864;  C.  H.  Mil-  ond  lieutenant:  \..  1  I.  Ihcwer;  J.  iiartlclt,  nnis- 
ler:  j.  D.  McDowell;  Kewton  McAughy:  J.  tcrcd  out  as  corporal:  R.  Bradford;  R.  M. 
1>.  I'eacock:  J.  IVtcrs:  J.  S.  I'rose:  I'".  I'nckctt;  T.rcwer;    (;.    W.    Ihishy;   Hi.arles    ISoulen:   J. 

I.  .S.  Reeder;  J.  .\.  Richman  :  j.  II.  .Snnth;  L.  Baugh  :  I).  T.  Corhin  :  l\  M.  Ch.imhers;  G. 
William  Scott;  A.  11.  Sluss:  J.  W.  Tignor;  C.  \\\    Chase;    James    Davidson;    R.    A.    Duane; 

II.  Wetsell;  1'.  Wildman:  Alhert  \\'ddni;m;  Charles  Dragoo;  William  Ennis;  D.  Fid- 
\V.  II.  Walters:  1,  X.  Wells:  S.  I',.  Williams;  dler;  J.  S.  Fiddler,  mustered  out  as 
C.  B.  Wells;  W.  H.  Wells.  corporal:     W.   J.    Fid.ller;    J.    O.    Foss,  mus- 

This  regiment  was  assigned  to  post  duty  at  tered  out  as  sergeant;  William  (iilkerson; 
JelTersou  City,  Missoiu'i,  a  point  they  reached  William  Ilittshew;  H.  Howell;  W.  |.  1'.  Hope- 
hy  way  of  St.  Louis,  soon  al"ter  heing  nnistered  well;  N.  N.  Howard:  J.  T.  Hicks:  |.  II.  Ilen- 
into  the  service.  Creenhury  Wright,  of  Tus-  dersou:  j.  R.  Leslie:  fi.  L.  Lin.sey;  |ohn  I.anih; 
cola,  was  the  first  m.ajor  and  aftei"\\ard  lieuten-  Derrick'  L.amh.  pronioteil  ca]>tain:  |.  N.  Me- 
ant Colonel  of  the  regiment.  The  regiment  Kinney:  .\.  Moore:  W.  T.  Miller;  James  Na- 
was  ordered  home,  and  mustered  out  on  Se]>-  ])hew,  died  :d  Cleveland,  Tennessee,  March  10, 
temher  _>S,  1804.  i8f)5:  I).  I',.  (  )\crm;iii,  died  at  Nashville.  Jan- 
uary _'7.  i8(i():  J.  T.  I'hilli])s:  Willi.-im  I'oor; 
ONK  iiUNDRKi)  .\Ni)  I- 1 FTV- N I N  Ti  I  I  I.I.I  .\r  )is  >  •  S.  Rccdcr ;  .\lex  Ridcuour  ;  j .  Skiimcr  :  Wil- 
INFWIKV  '''""  •'^'■"'C  J.  Tnrryville;   M.   Wilson;   II.    II. 

Wright:  W.  II.  Waters. 

()t  this  regiment  Com])any  I"  wris  recruited  'I'hc   (  )ne    llnndrcd   .and    I'ortv-ninlli    Reg- 

in    Douglas    county.      The    commissioiu-d    of-  iment  was  organized  .at  C.anip  Ihitler,   Illinois, 

ficers   were:      Derrick    Lamh.   ca])lain:    I).    (',.  on    h"cl)ruar\-    m,    1X05.    hy    {',,].    William    C. 

I'ddridge.  first   lieutenant:   William    liays.   sec-  Kneffner,  ,and  mustered  in  for  one  years'  .ser- 

ond     lieutenant.       hailistcd     men     of     I)(juglas  vice.     (  )n  the  T4lh,  the  regiment  moved  under 

county  were  :  orders  for  Nashville  and  thence  to  Chattanooga. 

First  Scri^raiil — S.   R.  Cox.  Here   it   was   assigned    hy   Cen.    Steadm.an    to 

Si'ri^canls — W.  h".   liargcr,  J.   1'.  Hancock,  duty,  guarding  railroads. 


6a 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


On  May  i  it  was  assigned  to. Col.  Felix, 
Prince  Salni's  brigade,  the  Second  Separate 
Division,  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  on 
the  fiilJDwing  day  moved  to  Dalton,  Georgia. 
Here  the  regiment  remained  until  July  6,  when 
it  was  ordered  to  Atlanta.  On  the  26th,  being 
assigned  to  duty  in  the  fourth  district  of  Alla- 
toona,  it  was  put  on  guard  duty  in  that  dis- 
trict. It  was  subsequently  ordered  to  Dalton, 
where  the  regiment  was  mustered  out  January 
27,  1866,  and  ordered  to  Springfield,  Illinois, 
for  final  payment  and  discharge. 

THIRTEENTH    ILLINOIS   CAVALRY. 

This  regiment  was  composed  of  only  eight 
companies,  one  of  which.  Company  G,  was 
recruited  principally  from  Douglas  county. 
The  commissioned  officers  were : 

Captain — Charles  H.  Roland. 

First  Lieutenants — Albert  Erskin,  promot- 
ed captain  of  Company  E;  James  G.  Kearney, 
only  officer  from  Douglas  county,  from  August 
10,   1862. 

Second  Lieutenants — \Villi:mi  K.  Trabue, 
till  August  9,  1862;  Forrest  D.  Spincer,  till 
mustered  out  of  the  regiment. 

The  enlisted  men  from  the  county  were : 

First  Ser^^eant — J.  G.  Kearney,  promoted 
first  lieutenant. 

Sergeants — G.  F.  Green;  \V.  H.  Flint. 

Corporals — O.  E.  Vandeventer,  \V.  J. 
Henry. 

Buglers — N.  R.  Gruelle. 

Farrier — Henry  Campbell,  mustered  out 
as  sergeant. 

Privates — A.  Burton;  George  Boyer;  M. 
Cavanaugh ;  Elijah  Carr,  died  at  Ironton, 
Missouri,  Ai)ril  12,  1862;  F.  Cunningham;  \V. 


J.  Churls ;  F.  Collum ;  F.  O.  Easton ;  L.  Fetters ; 
R.  C.  Grissom;  Gilbert  Green;  John  Keneas; 
Elizer  Lathrop;  J.  T.  Maynor;  J.  Mos- 
barger,  died  at  Helena,  Arkansas,  August 
30,  1862;  Ezekiel  Miller,  died  at  St.  Louis. 
Missouri,  March  ig,  1862;  John  Mack;  L. 
McAllister;  M.  G.  Neff,  died  at  Ironton, 
Missouri,  May,  1862;  E.  Poul;  I.  S.  Reeder; 
N.  Roland;  John  Shule;  J.  N.  Tannihill ;  S. 
Waldrop;  L.  Wilkins;  W.  H.  Wright;  A.  H. 
Wildman;  William  Woodhall ;  J.  Whitlock; 
Macey  Whitlock,  died  at  Ironton,  Missouri, 
April  30,  1862.  There  were  some  from  Doug- 
las county  transferred  to  other  companies;  of 
these  in  Company  H,  were  G.  W.  Austin  ;  John 
Brighton;  Henry  Campbell;  Robert  Davis;  C. 
H.  Jones;  Henry  Littlefield ;  Ira  Magnor;  M. 
Stewart;  George  Thebedient;  William  Taylor; 
S.  Walthrop;  Samuel  Winan. 

The  Thirteenth  Illinois  Cavalry  Regiment 
was  organized  at  Camp  Douglas,  Illinois,  in 
December,  1861,  by  Col.  J.  W.  Bell.  The  reg- 
iment was  moved  to  Benton  I'arracks,  St. 
Louis,  where  it  was  armed  and  ccjuipped,  and 
in  February,  1862,  moved  to  the  field.  Until 
June  I  it  was  on  duty  in  southeast  Missouri, 
where  it  joined  Gen.  Curtis'  army,  at  Jackson- 
port,  Arkansas.  With  Gen.  Curtis,  the  Thir- 
teenth moved  through  Arkansas,  taking  part  in 
the  .skirmishes  of  the  campaign  to  Helena, 
Arkansas.  In  the  fall  of  i8r)2  it  returned  with 
Gen.  Curtis  to  Missouri,  and  was  engaged  with 
General  Davidson,  in  the  campaign  of  south- 
west Missouri  and  northwest  Arkansas,  driv- 
ing Marmaduke  and  his  command  out  of  the 
state.  On  May  20,  1863,  in  accordance  with 
orders  from  headquarters  Department  of  Mis- 
souri, the  Thirteenth  was  consolidated;  the 
eight  companies  being  formed  into  three,  Maj. 


BIOCIRAI'MICAL   ANi:)    HISTORICAL.  65 


L.  T,ii)])ert  heiiii^-  retained  in  coniniaiul  of  the  A  list  1  if  battles  and  skirmishes  in  which  tlie 

Iiattalicm.     I'>\- tlie  same  (irder  C"ol.  I'.eU,  Lieut,  regiment  was  engaged  is  as  follows :     I'itman's 

(ol.    llartman    and    Maj.    Charles    I'.eU    were  Ferry,  Arkansas,  July  20,  1862 ;  Cotton  Plant, 

mustered  out  of  the  service.  Arkansas,   July   25,    1862;    Union    City,    Mi.s- 

In  the  following  July  the  hatlalion  moved  .souri,   August   jj,    1862;   Cam])    I'illow,    Mis- 

with  Gen.  Davidson's  cavalry  division  into  Ar-  som-i,  August  2(j,    i8()_>;  Bloomlleld,  Ali.ssouri, 

kansas,  taking  part  in  the  battles  of  llrowns-  Sejitemher    13,    18O2;    Van    Huren,    Missouri, 

ville,  August  24  and  25;  I'.ayou  Metre,  27  and  17.  .1863:     Lleven      Point      River,      Missouri, 

28;  Austin.  August  31.   and   again  at   liayou  March    j(>,    i8C)_:;;    Jackson,     Missouri,     .Xpril 

.Metre,  Septeml)er  4.     The  Thirteenth  w-as  the  22,       1863:     White     River,     Missouri,     April 

lirst  organization  to  enter  Little  Rock,  on  its  23,   1863;  Ijloomlield    (J),  Missouri,  ,\])ril  24, 

capture,  September  10,  1863,  and  was  engaged  1863;  Union  City  and  Chalk  Bluff,  Missintri, 

in  the  pursuit  of  Price,  to  Red   River.      In  the  April  25,    1863;   Bushy  Creek,  Misscntri,   May 

.spring  of  1864  the  battalion  accompanied  (ien.  31,    1863;   near   Helena,   .Arkansas,   .August  8, 

Steele  in  the  expedition  to  Canulen,  taking  a  1803;    (Irand    Pr;iirie   antl    White    River,    .Ar- 

l)roniinent  part  in  the  actions  at  .\rkadclphia,  kansas,  August  24  and  25,  1863;  Bayou  Metre, 

Okoloma,    Little    Mis.souri    Ri\er,    Prairie    du  Arkansas,  .\ugust   17,  1863;  Brownsville,  .\r- 

-\nne,  Camden  and  jeiikin's  l'\'rry,  during  the  kansas,    August    16,    1863;    Deadiuan's    Lake, 

month    of    April.      After    returnitig    to    Little  Arkan.sas,    .August  2-  and    28,    1863;    .\ustin, 

Rock,  the  battalion  was  engagetl  in  many  raids  Arkansas,    .\ugust   31,    18O3;    Ba_\ou     .Metre 

and  scouts,  and  in  skirmishing  with  the  forces  (2d),    .Arkatisas,    September    4,    1863;    Little 

of  Shelby  and  Marmaduke,  defeating  them  at  Rock,  .\rkansas,  September  to,  1863;  Benton, 

Clarendon  and  Pine  ISlutT.     In  tiie  suiumer  of  Arkansas,  .Sc])teniber  11,  1863;  Batesville,  .Ar- 

1864  the  battalion  was  stationed  at  I'ine  Bluff,  kansas.  ( )ctober  22,  18O3:  Pine  T.luff..\rkanas, 

in    Col.    Clayton's    brigade,    and  engagetl    in  i\o\'ember   jH.    1803;   .Xrkadelidiia,   .\rkansas, 

scouting  and  ])icketing.     (  )n  the  25th  of  Jan-  April   2,    i8')4;   Okoloma,   .Arkansas,   .\pril   3, 

nary,    i8C)5,  the  cavalry  di\-ision   ha\ing  I)een  1864;   Little  Missouri   Ri\er,  Arkansas,     April 

discontinued,   the    Thii'tei'nth    was  assigned   to  4.  i8()4;  Praii'ie  du  .\nne,  Arkansas,  .\pril   m, 

duty    at    the   jiosl    of    Pine    Pluff.       In    .\pril,  11  and  12,  i8()4 ;  Camden,  Arkansas,  April  15, 

detachments   were   sent    to   lake   ])ossessi<in   of  18^)4;    Jenkins'     h'erry,    .Arkansas,    .\pril    30, 

Mouticello,  Camden  and   Wa>hingtou,  leaving  18^)4;   Cross   Ri.iads,   .\rkansas.  Se|)teinber    1  r, 

the   headquarters   ;U    Pine    Pluff.      .\ugust   31,  i8()4;    Mount     l''.lb;i,    .\rkansas,     (  )clober     18, 

i8(')5,    the    regiment    was    mustered    out,    ;ui(l  t8f)4;    Douglas    Landing,   .Arkansas,    l'"ebruary 

received  final  ])ay  and  discharge  at  Springfield,  22.    1805;    iMonlicello,    Arkansas,    March    28, 

Illinois,  Se])tember   13.    1865.     The  Thirteenth  1865. 

Ca\-alry  Regiment's  aggreg;ite  strength  during'  Douglas  county   was   represented   in   other 

its  organization   was    i.75<)  men.  the  battalion  organizations    in    the    army,    liut    concerning 

having  been  consolidated  with  a  newly-formed  whom   there   is   no    reliable   information.      To 

but  incomplete  regiment  in  the  spring  of  1864.  notice  the  e.special  achievements  of  the  volun- 
5 


66  J'.IOCRAPIJICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 

teers  from  tliis  county  would  be  a  pleasant  luit  this  shall  sliuw  that  Douglas  county  was  not 

an  impossible  work.     Even  to  note  the  indi-  wanting  in  patrotisni  and  sacrificing-  devotion 

vidiial  experiences  of  companies  formed  in  the  when  demanded  Ijy  the  nation's  peril,  the  ob- 

county  has  l^een  found  impracticable.     A  brief  ject  of   the    foregoing  ])ages   will    have   been 

sketch  of  the  regiments  of  which  they  formed  reached, 
a   part    is   all    that   can   be    attemiited,     and    if 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES 


TowiSHiFS  IS  iifloiiiis  coysTy. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


TOWNSHIP  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES. 


CAMAKCo  TowNsiiu".  raising.     Tiiis  hmise  was  fm-  a  liiiig  time  tlie 

Iicaclquaiicrs   for  eiections  and   military  nuis- 

Caniargo    tdwnshi])    cnjnys    the    iKinnr    of  (crs. 

licing  the  earhest   scttk-d   pcirticm   ni    Douglas  There  was  a  small  tribe  nl   Imlians  campeil 

eoinitv,  the  first  eomcrs  df  whom  we  lia\t'  any  al  llridge])!  Tt,  nnw    llugn  I'.  ().,  section  u.  15, 

acconnl  hax'ing  arrived  in  iSj<).     The  townslii])  ().  which  was  a  trading  i)oint  with  them,  and 

tlerivcs  its  name  from  the  city  nf  Caniargo  in  a  store  or  trading  post  was  ke])t  by  (iodfrey 

Mexico,  and  was  suggested  bv  C<>\.  AfcCown.  N'esser.    a    i'"renehman,    or    perhaps    \  esser    & 

The  first  house  built  in   I  )(inglas  cimnty  is  yet  linlborv. 

standing  on  section  _^_^.  1').  (),  on  the  lies  land,  Jd'hi  llamniet  and  his  sons,  W'm.  .S.  and 
west  of  the  railroad  bridge  at  Caniargo  and  |as.  R.,  ru'rived  in  November,  rK_^o.  The  lam- 
north  of  the  track.  Jt  was  raised  in  t8_'()  by  ily  lived  in  a  tent  the  lirst  winter  ;nid  were 
John  A.  Richman,  the  father  of  John  Richman  \isited  by  large  numbers  of  Indians  who 
of  our  day,  and  well  au<l  f.amili.'n'ls'  known  a^  would  call  and  sit  around  the  fire.  M'hcir  gen- 
"Cncle  jack."  John  A.  Richman  lived  |o  be  I'lal  conduct  was  sih'Iv  as  to  leave  the  im])res- 
o\  er  eightw  ;uid  e\  en  at  thai  ;ige  would  hardb'  siou  that  the\'  were  honest,  and  allhough  the 
deign  to  ride  a  horse,  but  wnuld  gird  himstdf  f.amily  of  the  1  lammets  was  at  iheir  mercy, 
with  knife  and  tomahawk,  .■lud  with  gun  on  nr)tbing  was  stolen,  and  tlaw  had  no  lears  for 
shoulder  would  '"step  o\er"  to  the  (  )kaw  tim-  their  personal  s;ifet\'.  Ilowewr  one  or  two 
her,  tweh'e  or  fifteen  miles  1);ick.  .IS  coi  illy  ;is  a  b;iHles  with  Indians  from  the  upper  Embar- 
m;ni  of  the  ])resenl  day  would  walk  ;i  mile.  .Mr.  rass  are  s])oken  of  as  h.nving  occurred,  TXr5- 
Richnian  came  from  \\  e>t  \  irgiin.a  in  the  \ear  iSiS;  one  with  go\erinncnt  sni'veyors,  near 
mentioned — some  say,  howe\er,  \f>2~ — and  the  creek  in  Coles  county.  John  1  lammet  and 
Jolm  Richman,  then  a  lad,  made  a  hand  at  the  I  larrison  Gill,  of  Kentucky,  were  the  first  land 


70 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


(nvners  in  tlic  area  of  the  county,  after  the 
government,  liaving  entered  land  on  the  same 
day.  Mr.  Hammet  took  several  hundred  acres 
north  of  Camargo  village,  and  Mr.  Gill  enter- 
ing two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  section  35, 
cast  of  Gamargo.  The  i)atents  for  these  first 
entered  lands  were  signed  1)y  Andrew  Jackson, 
in  March,  1830.  .Samuel  ;\shmore  entere<l  part 
of  section  36,  15.  10,  in  1830  also.  Mr.  Gill 
caiue  from  Kentuckv  on  liorseliack  and  in  com- 
pany with  his  uncle  Rohert  visited  the  Indians 
at  Hugo. 

Jas.  T\.  Hammet  was  active  in  the  interests 
of  the  new  countv  of  Douglas  and  also  in  those 
of  the  east  and  west  railroad,  of  which  he  was 
one  of  the  incorporators  and  a  director  for 
fomieen  years.  G.  \\^  Henson,  Charles  Brew- 
er, Jolin  Brown,  Martin  Rice,  John  D.  Mur- 
doch, Alexander  Bragg  and  the  Watsons  were 
also  of  the 'first  arrivals.  C.  Brewer  came  in 
1855.  John  Brown,  who  arrived  in  1838,  was 
elected  associate  justice  of  the  county  of  Doug- 
las in  1S65.  Mr.  Rice  came  in  1S49,  ^1"^  ^^''is  a 
resident  of  what  is  now  Douglas  county  after 
1853.  He  actively  assisted  in  the  movement  of 
the  new  county,  and  was  a  memher  of  the  first 
political  convention  held  in  it,  in  the  second  year 
after  township  organization.  John  D.  Murdeck 
was  elected  associate  justice  of  Douglas  county, 
was  a  member  of  the  first  county  board  in  1859, 
and  re-elected  in  1861.  Coleman  Bright,  a 
natix'e  of  A^irgini;i,  c;nne  froiu  Indiana  to  Ca- 
margo  in  .\ugusl,  1850,  and  was  the  .senior 
memher  of  the  hrni  of  15right  &  Jones,  of  Ca- 
margo  and  Tuscola.  Alexander  Bragg  came 
to  the  state  in  1835,  and  served  in  the  Mexi- 
can war,  1846.  \y.  D.  Watson,  of  this  town- 
ship, was  in  the  state  senate  at  the  time  of  form- 
ing the  county.     Geo.  W.  Henson  arrived  in 


1844.      H.   L.   Thornsbrnc    of  this   township, 
was  born  within  the  area  of  the  county — 1830. 

The  original  part  of  the  village  of  Camargo 
was  laid  off  in  November,  1836,  by  Isaac  Moss, 
Jos.  Fowler,  surveyor,  and  was  called  New 
Salem.  When  Moss'  addition  was  made  it  was  j 
called  New  Albany,  after  which  it  received  its 
])resent  name.  It  is  the  most  ancient  village 
in  the  comity,  and  in  the  long  years  pending  the 
advent  of  the  I.  &  I.  C.  Railway  w  as  considered 
"finished."  It  was  the  place  of  residence  of 
many  of  the  most  successful  business  men  of 
the  county.  The  first  county  court  of  Doug-  « 
las  county  was  held  here  '"under  dispensation," 
pending  the  selection  of  a  county  seat.  The  j 
town  proper  composes  an  area  of  about  eighty 
acres,  lying  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Embarrass 
r"i\er  anil  upon  the  line  of  ihe  I.  1).  &  W  .  Rail- 
way'. 

The  Methodists  and  Christians  have  each  a 
church,  the  former  being  a  fine  brick  building 
costing  five  thousand  dollars. 

Camargo  Lodge,  No.  440,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
was  instituted  October  18,  1865.  The  charter 
members  were :  Jas.  T.  Orr,  A.  Salisbury, 
R.  E.  Carmack,  .\.  K.  P.  Townsend,  Geo.  C. 
Gill,  Martin  Rice,  W.  C.  Campbell,  R.  C.  Pat- 
terson, J.  T.  Helm,  J.  R.  Henderson,  H.  G. 
Russell.  The  first  officers  were :  Jas.  T.  Orr, 
worshipful  master;  Geo.  C.  Gill,  secretary;  R. 
E.  Carmack,  treasurer.  A  commodious  lodge 
room  was  dedicated  Octol)er  2,  1875  ;  the  Royal 
.'\rch  Chapter  was  instituted  U.  D.  Novemlier 
9,  the  same  year.  The  institution  of  the  lodge 
was  assisted  l)y  Tuscola  Masons  in  1865,  who 
came  out  "by  land"  for  the  purpose,  the  rail- 
road having  not  yet  appeared. 

The  township  took  stock  in  the  I.  D.  &  \\'. 
Railway  to  the  amount  of  fifteen  thousand  dol- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL 


lars.   payable  in    hnirlcen   rears,   witli   ten   ])er  clerk  in  X<i\enil)er,   i86(;,  serving'  one  term  nf 

cent,  interest.     The  taxes  ])ai(l  by  the  I'Dad  nia-  fi>nr  years. 

terially  reduce  the  interest.  Tiiiihcr. — ()ne  third    i>t    the    area    of    the 

The  area  of  the  township  is  I'll'ty-six  sections  townshij)   is   within   the  uri^'inal   timber   limit, 

of  land  or  about  ec|nal   to  sixty  and  onedialf  which  .i^rew  adjacent  Id  the  ri\-er,  as  is  usual 

s(|uare  miles,  some  of  the  sections  having  over  here.     Many  fine  tracts  of  tiiul)er  yet  remain, 

one   thousand   acres.      The   township   contains  Tlood     timbei"    was     held     as    lui^h      as      sc\- 

thirty-eight  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  si.xty-  enty  li\e  dollars  per  acre,  and  tift\  dollars  \\;is 

nine  acres.  a  common   price;   it    was   used,   after   hnilding- 

'i'lie  notable  hi.t;li-li;mded  and  desperate  ri>l)-  \\ith  it.  and  for  ;i  loiiii;'  time,  almost  e\clusi\ely 

bery  of  W'm.  S.  Hammet  and  his  household  oc-  foi-  fticl  first,  and  then  fenciniL;'.     As  the  country 

curred  on  the  night  of  June  S,  1S70.     The  fam-  grew   older  saw  nulls  were  introduced  and  na- 

il\' had  retired.     .Mr.   llammet  was  aroused  Iiy  ti\e  boards  ajipeared:   but   since   the  nufitipli- 

a  knock  at  the  door,  and  n])on  opening  it  was  catiou  ot   railroads  leading  to  the  easy  trans- 

instantly  seized  by  two  armed  and  masked  men,  portatiou  of  foreign   fencing  and  coal,  timber 

who  demanded   silence  and   money.      Tie   was  land  has  dejireciated,  until  good  prairie  is  f,ar 

unarmed  and  ])artly  unclothed,  taken  by  sur-  more  \-aluable.   Some  large  farmers  use  foi-ci;ni 

l)rise,  with  a  loaded  ])istol  pointing  directly  at  planks,  or  hedges,   for  fencing,  and  bium  co;il 

and  close  to  his  heart,  which  nnght  at  any  in-  exclusixely,  many  of  tlieni  having  not  an  acre 

stant  ha\'e  been   discharged   bv   the   trembling  ot   timber. 

hand  of  his  guard,  and  after  carefully  weighing  Ratlraads. — The  1.  1).  iS;  W  .  l\.iih-o;id 
the  chances  concluded  to  siu'render,  a  prudence  crosses  this  townshi])  in  an  east  and  west  ili- 
that  is  commended  b\-  men  of  bi-;i\er\'.  He  rection.  confing  in  on  the  west  side  and 
was  held  strictly  under  gu.ard  until  the  villains  near  the  middle  of  section  _:;_'.  townshi])  10. 
had  obtained  watches  and  ii'welrv  to  the  range  <),  and  runs  upon  a  straight  line  until 
amount  of  two  hundred  and  lifts-  dollars  and  a  shortly  after  passing  the  \illage  of  Camargo, 
little  mone}".  The}'  had  taken  care  to  fasten  in  section  33,  where  it  dellects  to  the  south 
the  door  of  a  room  occupied  by  some  work  about  twelve  rods,  and  continues  at  that  dis- 
bands, rmd,  ha\'ing  accomplished  their  ]iuri)ose  tancc  from  the  middle  line  of  the  section  till 
with  dispatch,  ixdeased  Mr.  llammet  and  dis-  it  le;i\es  the  comity.  It  has  a  substantial 
a|)peareil  with  great  baste  in  the  darkness.  bridgi'.    one    hundieil     and     lhirt\'     leet    long. 

The  town  ot    .W'w    T.oston  was  laid  oiU  li\-  on  the  west  side  of  the  \illage  at  the  crossing 

Mtd)owell  on  section  35,    i(>.  <).  in   .\'o\ember,  of  the  l''.mbarrass  i'i\er,  which  resistetl  the  ice- 

1X37,    and     vac;ited     b'ebrnary.     1S45.         I'ar-  How    of  the  winter  of    oSSj,  whilst  the  wagon 

menas   Watson   was   made   sherilT   in    Xo\em-  bridge,  out'  hundred  and  fifty  feet  north  of  it, 

l)er,  T8t)0,  and  S.  S.   li'win  was  superintendent  ga\e  way. 

of  schools  from  the  fall  of   iSOi,  serx'ing  two  The   townshi])   took    stock    in    the   railroad 

years.     Dr.   f<.)hn  C.   Parcel  was  elected  county  inu'er  its  t'ormer  name,  l.X;  I.  C_".,  to  the  amcjunt 


72 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


of  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  payable  in  fourteen 
years,  with  ten  per  cent,  interest,  and  the  bonds 
were  refunded  in  June,  iS8o,  being  placed  with 
Preston,  Kean  &  Co.,  of  Chicago,  at  si.x  per 
cent,  interest,  which  transaction  was  negoti- 
ated bv  Charles  C.  hA-khart,  l'-S(|..  nf  Tuscola. 

CITY    OF    C.\M.\KGO. 

Creation  and  development. —The  original 
town  of  Camargo  was  laid  off  in  November, 
1836.  by  Isaac  Moss,  being  surveyed  by  Joseph 
Fowler,  and  was  callecl  New  Salem.  Mr.  Moss 
made  an  addition  in  T840;  the  name  was  then 
changed  to  New  Albany,  the  voting  precinct 
being  known  by  the  name  of  Albany,  and 
finally,  when,  upon  the  suggestion  of  J.  ?).  Mc- 
Cowu.  the  name  of  the  precinct  was  changed 
to  Camargo,  the  village  accepted  the  same 
name.  It  is  the  most  ancient  village  in  the 
county,  antedating  Tuscola,  Areola  and  New- 
man, and  even  the  time-honored  Bourbon, 
which  was  laid  off  in  1853,  Camargo,  with  her 
1836  record,  leading  Bourbon  by  seventeen 
years.  This  village  in  the  long  years  preceding 
the  advent  of  the  east- and  west  railroad  lan- 
guished and  was  long  considered  finished;  the 
final  completion  of  the  road,  however,  gave  it 
somewhat  of  an  impetus,  that  may  end  in'some 
distinction,  it  being  the  i)lace  of  residence  of 
some  of  the  leading  men  of  (he  county  and  the 
starting  point  of  several  of  its  most  successlul 
business  men. 

Struggle  for  county  seat. — The  \iHage  of 
Camargo,  from  its  central  position,  had  claims 
•fo  the  honor  of  being  the  county  seat,  which 
were  strongly  advocated,  and  which  could  not 
very  well  be  ignored.     She  had  no  railroad, 


but  everybody  said  she  would  have  one  at  no 
(listant  day,  the  I.  &  T.  C.  having  been  chartered 
in  1852,  and  the  route  through  the  village  se- 
lectetl  and  staked  out.  and  further  encouraged 
by  the  almost  annual  appearance  of  engineer 
corps  along  the  line  through  which,  amongst 
other  things,  the  interest  was  kept  up.  Pend- 
ing the  selection  of  a  shiretown,  Camargo  was 
made  county  seat  pro  tem.  The  election  returns 
of  the  county  seat  contest  were  stored  at  the 
place,  and  rumor  hath  it  that  interested  parties, 
olitaining  access  to  the  tickets,  procured  a  set  of 
scales,  and  upon  ascertaining  the  "weight"  of 
each  package  of  votes,  took  special  care  that 
their  favorite  ])oint  should  have  superior  heft. 
The  first  meeting  of  the  county  court,  ])resided 
oxer  ])\-  James  lowing,  of  Areola,  as  judge,  and 
John  D.  Murdoch  and  Robert  Hopkins,  as  asso- 
ciates. John  Chandler,  clerk,  a  special  term  was 
held  April  28,  1859.  u])-stairs  over  Coleman 
l>right's  store,  and  here  it  was  ordered,  amongst 
other  things,  that  a  special  election  be  held  May 
30,  1859.  as  between  Tuscola  and  Areola,  wdiich 
rival  towns,  whose  vote  had  not  been  considered 
in  the  first  canvass,  were  found  to  embrace  the 
choice  of  the  people,  upon  which  occasion  Tus- 
cola won. 

Ancient  prairie  travel. — The  new  officers  all 
met  here  to  get  their  commissions.  The  county 
was  almost  co\-ered  with  water,  and  the  Cfiunty 
sur\'e_\'or,  being  a  small  man.  was  mounted  upon 
a  horse  about  sixteen  hands  high,  and  sent  from 
fxiurbon  to  Camargo  "by  way  of  Areola,"  at 
w  hich  ])lace  the  owner  of  the  horse  had  a  mes- 
sage to  deliver,  and  told  the  surveyor  it  was  "on 
the  way,"  so  it  was — the  way  he  went;  he  did 
not  know  any  better.  As  there  were  no  prairie 
fences,  or  roads,  he  went  straight  from  Bour- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  73 

Ijon  to  Areola  and  straight  from  Areola  to  Ca-  ty.      Maiden  Jones,   who  came  in    1840,  was 

margo.  across  the  prairie,  with  a  general  direc-  sheriff  of  Coles  cdunty  wiien  Douglas  county 

tion  from  his  advisors,  at  Areola,  to  kee])  the  was  parted  fniui  it.     lie  was  elected  in   1858, 

northeast  wind  in  his  face,  which  he  proceeded  and  was  elected  to  the  state  legislatm-e  in   1864 

to  do  as  far  as  possilile:  hut  as  the  aforesaid  and  again  in  1866.     Lemuel  Chandler  was  the 

northeast    wind    came   on    that   occasion    from  first  sujierNisor  of  the  township  and  served  four 

all  points  of  the  comjjass,  he  accordingly  got  consecuti\e   terms.      The     Dehart    sons    were 

lost,  as  was  to  he  expected.     The  wind  was  like  \~.ell    known   active   husiness   men.      C"urtis   Ci. 

old  Cncle  Tack. s  comjjass,  which  siMUehodv  gave  and  C.'unphell   McComh  were  old  residents  of 

him  to  use  in  the  woods;  no  matter  how  he  held  Coles -at   the   institution   of   the   new   county, 

it,    it    would    diddle-daddle    to    the    southwest  Thomas    Moore    entered    west    half    northeast 

every  time.  ((uarter-section  23.  15.  7,  in  i8_y. 

Cliiirclhw. — The  fn'st  church  hnilt  in  the  vil-  John   Cam]>l)ell,   called   "Uncle  Jack,"    was 

lage  was  ])ut  up  hy  the  Methodists,  and  we  are  a  hrother  of  Allen  and  ^\'ill!alu  Cani])hell.  and 

informed  was  erected  as  early  as   1850.  at  a  \vas  proh.ihly  the  last   representative  or  tyi)e 

cost   of  ahout    five   hundred    dollars.      It    was  o|  the  gemn'nc  old-fashioned  ])ioneer,  scout  and 

eventually  .sold,  and  the  present  hrick  huilt.  hiniter.  .anil  wonderful  stories  were  told  of  his 

endur.ance  and  his  ahilify  to  follow  a  trail.  He 
was  widely  known  in  the  earlv  d.avs.  i);issing 
the  greater  p.'irt  of  Itis  time  in  hunting.      He 

llom'hon  township  consists  of  fort\--lwo  sec-  \\as  found  dead  in  llie  woods.     His  son  I  lir;im. 

tions  of  land  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  conn-  who  died  in   i8f)4,  h.'id  the  reputation  of  heing 

tv,  eipial  to  ahout  the  same  numher  of  scin.are  one  of  the  hest  hunters  of  the  time, 

miles,  and  twenty-seven  thousand,  one  hundred  Jacoh  Aloore,  Sr.,  was  one  of  the  earliest 

and  seventy-five  acres,      .\mong  the  first   set-  settlers  in  the  townshi])  and  hecame  an  exten- 

tlers  were  Geo.  Dehart  and  his  sons,   Samuel  ^ive  cattle  dealer  .and   Large  land   holder.      He 

and    Lucas.      He    was    road-master    in    Coles  was  also  a   noted   hunter  of  great   endurance, 

county  and  his  district  extended  from  Sadorus'  His  first  land  was  entered  in  section  i,   14,  7, 

(irove,  on  the  north  comity  line,  to  a  point  six  in  .\l)ril,  1X35.     lie  died  July  15.  i860,  leaving 

miles    south    of    the    Si)ringfiel<l    road,      .Mien  a  l;irge  estate  to  numerous  descendants, 

■•nid    William   C.amphell    were  also  of  the   first.  lsa;ic  ( iruelle.  of  this  low  U'-liip.  was  county 

.\llen  C.amphell   w;is.  .at   the  time  of  his  death  romniissioner  of  Coles  county,  heing  elected  in 

in    1875.  with  one  excei)tion,   the  largest   land  1 '"^4.^  ^vith    II.  J.    Ashniore.      The  constitution 

owner  in   the  county.      Isa.ac   (haielle.    Maiden  "f  "848  provided   for  a  county  judge  and  two 

Jones,  Israel  Chandler  .and  sons,  were  among  associ.ales.  ;niil  John  ,M.   Logan  was  one  of  the 

the  earliest  comers.     Dr.  Ai)person  was  a  large  li''st  two  .associate  justices.     Cruelle  and  I  .ogajfc 

land  owner  and  h.ad  an  extensive  luedical  prac-  have  long  since  p.assed  away,  hoth  leaving  large 

tice.     He  was  a  nephew  of  Dr.  John  .Xjjper-  estates, 

son,  who  was  the  first  physician  in  Coles  coun-  German   speaking  people   occupy   a   large 


BOUKUON    TOWNSHIP. 


74 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


area  of  the  iiortli  jiart  of  tlie  township,  tlie  lo- 
cality being  widel}'  known  as  the  "German  Set- 
tlement." Their  farms,  compared  with  western 
farms  generally,  are  small  hut  exceedingly  well 
cultivated,  and  the  proverbial  industry  and 
thrift  of  this  class  of  citizens  it  here  fully  exem- 
plified. The  greater  part  of  them  arrived  with 
little  or  no  means,  and  now  with  liardiv  an  ex- 
ception they  have  acquired  good  and  well  im- 
proved farms.  The  pioneer  of  this  commun- 
ity is  Wessel  Blaase,  who  arrived  in  1852. 
There  are  se\-eral  ancient  artificial  mounds  on 
his  place  in  one  of  which  human  hones  were 
found  in  excavating  for  a  building. 

In  the  southwest  part  settled  the  Amish, 
who  were  preceded  here  by  M.  Yoter,  IMiller 
and  others  in  ]8(")4.  They  much  resemble  the 
society  of  Friends  in  plainness  oi  attire,  integ 
rity  and  almost  total  exemption  from  paujier- 
ism.  The  name  is  derived  from  that  of  the 
founder  of  the  society  who,  in  the  German 
states  of  Europe,  saw  fit  to  secede  from  the 
Menonites,  of  whom  much  has  been  heard 
lately,  with  regard  to  the  emigration  of  large 
numbers  of  them  from  Russia  to  the  West. 
The  proposed  marriages  are  publicly  an- 
nounced, and  a  marriage  outside  of  the  Society 
is  "intolerable  and  not  to  be  endured."  They 
dress  plainly,  partly  to  avoid  the  frivolities  of 
fashion,  and  partly  that  there  may  be  no  nota- 
l)lc  distinctinn  between  the  rich  and  the  poor. 
They  have  no  clnuThes  or  meeting  houses,  but 
meet  at  each  other's  dwellings,  as  the  spirit 
moves  them.  The  clothing  of  the  men  is  often 
confined  with  hooks  and  eyes,  but  the  notion 
•  that  they  wear  no  buttons  is  erroneous.  The 
heads  of  the  women  are  always  covered  with 
a  neat  white  cap  and  over  the  neck  and  shoul- 
ders decorously  spreads  a  plain  white  hand- 


kerchief; this  in  observance  of  the  hint  from 
the  Apostle  Paul.  Adults  only  are  baptized  and 
that  by  pouring.  Infants  are  not  entitled  to 
.  this  sacrament,  they  preferring  to  teach  first, 
for  e\'ery  descendant  has  a  birth-right  in  the 
church.  Of  German  e.xtraction  and  long  set- 
tled in  western  Pennsylvania,  their  speech 
amongst  themselves  is  an  odd  mixtin-e  of  Ger- 
man and  English,  the  "American"  part  of 
v>hich  can  be  readily  detected  by  an  intelligent 
ol)server,  and  the  language  is  popularly  known 
as  "Pennslyvania  Dutch."  They  all  speak 
".\merican"  as  well  as  their  neighbors,  so  that, 
trusting  to  the  hearing  alone,  few  would  sus- 
pect the  presence  of  a  German  speaking  per- 
son. They  are  a  good  class  of  people  in  their 
way.  but  are  bigoted  in  manv  ways.  They  do 
not  teach  their  children  the  "American  idea," 
preferring  that  they  become  isolated  from 
others  who  are  as  true,  or  truer,  in  their  re- 
ligious princii)les  than  tliey.  They  are  intensely 
selfish  among  themsehes  and  seem  to  "float  in 
the  creeil"  "we  shall  be  happy  in  heaven 
whether  we  find  our  God  there  or  not!" 

The  original  village  of  Bourbon,  section  14, 
15,  7,  was  laid  out  by  Maiden  Jones,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1853,  and  is  the  third  town  in  priority, 
having  been  preceded  by  both  Camargo  and 
Fillmore.  An  addition  was  made  in  the  fol- 
lowing January  by  Benjamin  Ellars.  At  the 
institution  of  the  cotint\-  this  was  a  thriving 
village  of  some  dozen  business  houses  and  the 
most  important  trading  point  in  the  county. 
L.  C.  Rust,  Dr.  J.  D.  Gardiner.  Jos.  Foster, 
\\"m.  Chandler.  Benjamin  Ellars.  (i.  W.  Flynn 
and  others  flourished  here  at  the  time.  The 
location  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  some 
four  miles  to  the  east,  giving  rise  to  Tuscola 
and  Areola,  interfered  with  the  future  prospects 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


75 


of  the  place  to  tlie  extent  that  tlie  merchants, 
for  tlie  most  part,  not  only  removed  to  the  new- 
towns  on  the  railroad  but  took  their  buildings 
with  them.  One  of  these,  a  two-story  frame, 
was  put  upon  runners  made  of  large  sticks  of 
timber,  and  with  some  fifteen  yoke  of  steers, 
under  the  conduct  of  LTucle  Daniel  Roderick, 
was  hauled  in  a  nearly  straight  line  over  the 
snow  to  Areola.  "Uncle  Daniel"  still  lives  on 
his  farm  in  section  i,  15,  7.  He  entered  this 
land  on  March  13,  1838.  Sanuiel  Sharpe,  of 
Bourbon,  took  Rust's  store  to  Areola  in  a  sim- 
il.ir  manner. 

The  census  of  iS(;o  gives  Bourbon  eighty- 
three  inhabitants.  It  has  a  postoftice,  two  or 
three  stores,  two  grain  buyers,  good  church 
and  school. 

Isaac  Gruellc  founded  the  first  store  near 
the  place  in  which  for  some  years  IMalden 
Jones  was  a  partner.  Luther  C.  Rust  was  a 
leading  merchant  in  the  early  days  of  Bour- 
Ijou  and  was  well  liked.  He  died  suddenly  in 
Areola  February  14.  1873.  H.  C.  Niles 
clerked  for  Mr.  Rust  and  Abram  Cosier 
served  in  the  same  capacity  for  Mr.  Fosler. 
another  early  merchant  of  the  village. 

Fillmore  had  been  laid  out  by  H.  Russell  in 
1848,  on  section  35,  15,  7.  and  the  firm  of 
Bales  &  Thr(nvbridge,  afterward  Bales,  Os- 
born  &  Co.,  controlled  the  trade  of  a  large 
are.'i ;  but  the  business  of  this  house  was  re- 
moved to  .\rcol;i.  and  I'illnKire  is  .'uuung  the 
things  that  were.  Mr.  l'.;des  was  associate 
justice  of  the  cnunty  in  iS()i,  and  su])ervisor 
of  the  township  in  187J.  I'.agdad  is  a  point 
on  the  Okaw  three  miles  west  of  .Areola. 

Newton  [.  Cooper,  of  this  towushi]),  was 
elected  sheriff  of  the  county  in  the  fall  of  1870, 
up  to  which  time  for  a  period,  he  liad  been 


township  ciillector.  In  the  following  M.arch 
he  disappeared  suddenly,  leaving  between  five 
and  six  thousand  dollars  of  township  funds 
unaccounted  for.  Cooper,  a  recent  comer  in 
the  neighborhood,  was  a  man  ()f  jjlcasing  ad- 
dress and  appearance,  and  that,  togetlier  with 
his  rather  notable  business  c|ualiBcations,  in- 
s])ire(l  ciinficlence  in  all  who  had  dealings  with 
bim. 

On  Thursday  afternoon,  November  4, 
1875,  R.  r.  McWilliams,  a  well  known  and 
highly  resjiected  citizen  of  Bourbon  township, 
was  instaiitlv  killei!  at  the  highwav  crossing 
of  the  Illinois  Midland  Railwav,  west  of  .Ar- 
eola and  near  the  residence  of  J.-icob  M<iore. 
]  fc  was  driving  a  nuile  team  attacheil  to  a 
wagon.  He  ai>proached  the  crossing  and,  as 
he  thought,  allowed  the  train  t(^  pass  and  be- 
gan to  resume  his  way,  probably,  naturally 
looking  at  the  train,  but  he  was  unfortunately 
caught  liy  the  latter  ])art  of  the  train,  which 
had  become  uncoupled.  The  team  escaped. 
The  name  of  this  township  is  deri\-ed  from 
that  of  Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  which  was 
represented  by  several  of  the  first  settlers.  The 
people  \-oted  bonds  in  aid  of  the  I.  M.  Railway 
to  the  amriunt  of  thirtv-fi\'e  thousand  dollars. 
■  The  township  has  contrilwted  liberally  of 
her  citizens  to  the  ])ublic  service.  John  Chand- 
ler, the  first  clerk  of  the  county,  was  electefl 
in  i85()  ;ind  ,'ig;iiu  in  iSOr.  Caleb  P)a!es  was 
associate  justice  for  ;i  term  beginning  \o\'em- 
ber,  i8()r,  and  was  also  supervisor  in  l87_'. 
I^amnel  B.  Logan  w.as  the  first  sheriff  of  the 
county,  1859.  Newton  I.  Cooper  was  made 
sherift'  in  1870.  Lem;iuel  Chandler  served 
as  supervisor  in  i8r)8-6<j-70-7i,  and  had  also 
charge  of  the  interests  of  the  county  in  realiz- 
ing from  the  state  the  amount  due  from  sw-amp 


76 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


lands.  M.  D.  Bartholomew  was  supervisor 
in  i.i'>/3.  and  was  succeeded  by  Andrew  Ray 
in  1874,  who  was  returned  in  1875.  J.  F. 
Bouck  came  from  Ohio  in  1866  to  Bourbon 
townshi])  and  served  with  a  ca))tain's  com- 
mission in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fourth 
Regiment  of  that  state  in  the  war  of  1861. 

Chesterville  is  a  small  hamlet  with  a  post- 
office  and  store  and  one  church,  the  United 
Brethren.  The  ixipulation  in  1890  was  twenty- 
eight. 

The  villages  of  Fillmore  an<l  Bagdad  of  this 
township  have  disappeared  from  the  face  of 
the  map. 

Arthur,    a    most    progressi^■e    village    of 
about  seven  Inuulred  people,  was  laid  out  by 
the   Paris   &   Decatur   Railroad   Company   on 
the  lands  of  M.  Warren,  of  Moultrie,  and  the 
Murpheys,   of  Douglas   county.      The   county 
line  divides  the  village  north  and  south.     The 
Douglas  county   surveying  was  done  by   the 
railroad  engineers,  and  certified  by  Mr.  Niles, 
the   Douglas  county  surveyor.      This  was   in 
July,  1873.     Murphy's  addition  was  made  Jan- 
uary 30,   1875,  and  Reeves'  addition  Decem- 
ber 30,  1874,  both  surveyed  by  Mr.  Niles.    The 
first  business  house  was  put  up  by  Jacob  Sears. 
William  H.  Ward  brought  the  first  stock  of 
go(vls  to  the  village  and  in  the  spring  of  1873 
|.    W.    r.arrnm    founded   the   firsf    drug   store. 
Arthur   \\;is  incoritorated   in   the  county  court 
of  Moultrie  county  at  the  .\pril   term.   .\.    D. 
1877,   which   was   signed   by   David   Crockett, 
C.  C.  McComb,  William  Filers,  M.  Hunsakcr, 
M.  H.  Warren,  B.  G.  Hoover,  H.  Dehart,  J.  W. 
Sears  and  some  forty  others.    The  court  found 
there  were  three  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants 
residing  in  the  territory.     The  petition  for  the 


election  was  granted  and  the  election  ordered 
for  May  7,  1877.  LTnder  the  act  approved 
.\])ril  9,  1872,  M.  II.  Warren  and  James  Ellars 
were  appointed  judges  of  the  election,  the  re- 
turns to  be  made  to  Moultrie  county.  There 
were  for  village  organization  thirty-three  votes, 
and  against  it  thirty  votes.  On  June  12,  1877, 
the  first  election  was  held  for  the  choice  of 
six  trustees  and  a  clerk,  in  which  the  persons 
chosen  were  C.  G.  McComb,  W.  H.  H.  Reeder, 
IT.  C.  Jones,  J,  W,  Sears,  N.  Thompson  and 
M.  Hunsaker,  and  J.  W.  ]];irrum  was  duly 
elected  clerk. 

On  the  farm  of  Mr.  Blaase  some  mounds 
have  been  found  from  which  human  remains, 
apparently  ancient,  have  been  exhumed  in  ex- 
cavating for  a  building.  The  idea  that  several 
slight  elevations  near  here  were  the  work  of 
human  hands  is  sustained  to  an  extent  by  the 
fact  that  ancient  marks  upon  trees  all  facing 
to  one  point  are  noticed.  On  the  same  farm, 
what  was  supposed  to  be  a  large  flat  rock,  some 
twelve  feet  square,  was  found  and  supposed  to 
co\'er  interesting  matter.  A  relative  of  Mr. 
i'laase  dug  around  it  on  all  sides  to  a  depth  of 
about  eight  feet,  but  he  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  bottom  was  in  China,  and  the  work 
was  abandoned. 

A  Hurricane. — May  14,  1858,  ;i  lun-ricane 
visited  this  part  of  the  connt_\'  from  the  north- 
west, on  its  way  to  Areola,  wiiere  it  had  an 
engagement,  doing  considerable  damage  in  and 
near  liourbon  village,  the  effects  of  which,  how- 
e\er,  were  more  seriously  felt  in  .Areola,  Avhcre 
se\-eral  houses  were  considerably  damagetl,  and 
i;tliers  altogether  overthrown.  It  was  a  busy 
day  at  Bourbon  at  the  time,  and  it  was  fun 
to  the  perfectly  cool  fellows  who  were  not  at 


BIOGRAnilCAT.  AND  HISTORICAL^.  ^^ 

all  alarmed  to  see  cursiiii^-.  swcarint^-,  fiohting  center  of  the  Idwuship,  up'm  wliicii  conditions 

men  "hunt  tiieir  liolcs."     We  di)n't  rcnienil)er  the  townsliip,  hy  a  vote  (jf  the  people,  .sul)scri1)ed 

just  now  will)  ihi' ccinl  fellows  were.  townshi])    bonds    in    aid    of    the    ruad    to    tlic 

amount  of  .f_^(),(K)o.      It    was   shown   that   the 

issue    was    illegal    there    heijig     n:)    .anlhoi'ity 

BOWDKic  TOWNSiiii'.  wluitevcr   for  holding  the  election.     The   ta.K 

was  enjoined,  and  proper  steps  taken  tO  abro- 

Bowdrc  township  has  fnrty-eight  and  one-  K-'t'^   I'lc   whole   proceedings,    wliicli    obtained. 

half  square  miles  of  territory.     When  township  "he  bonds  fonml  their  way  into  ihe  hands  of 

organization  was  adopted  in    iS('),S,  this  town-  innncent  i)arties,  who  ])urch;iseii  them  as  a  per- 

ship  was  called   Deer   Creek,   after   the  water  manent    in\estment. 

course  of  that   name   which    traverses   it.   and  liiwly  land  viilrit's  and  early  scUlcrs. — As 

had   been  a  part  o{  Collins   ])recinct   in   Cuies  to    the    lirst    entries    of    land    in    this     town- 

count\'.    The  h.mb.arras  riwi'  lanis  thrnugh  the  ship,  the  earliest  dale  is  fiiund  to  be  the  entr\' 

northeast  p.art  ;md  receives  ."Scattering  h'ork  in  ul   Jmie,    1S33,   by   .Samuel  C'.   (Jill,   wlm   ti»ik 

tiie  north.  The  township  i>  trawi'sed  b\-  the  I1h-  the  east  half  of  northeast  (quarter  of  sectii>n  _', 

nois   Midland   Kail  way    fnin   the    west   In   the  township  15,  range  9,  and  other  lands,     jhjhn 

sotitheast,  a  considerable  deiiection  having  been  Davis,  in  October,   1833,  entered  west  half  of 

matle  in  the  line  of  the  road  thai  it  mighl  pass  northeast  (juarlcr,  same  section.      In    iS3(),   in 

within  a  mile  of  the  center  of  the  townshi]).  h'ebruary,   the  northeast  (piarter   of   northeast 

u]K)n   which  condition   and    for  otlier   reas.ms.  (juarter  of  section    11,   township    15.   range  y, 

the  people  of  the  township  \otcd  bonds  in  ad  was  entered  by  the  Barnets,  and  as  in  other 

of  the  road  to  the  aniomit  of  thirty  thousand  parts    of    the    county,    the    great    bulk    of    the 

dollars.  lands  were  entered  in    1852  and    1853.      Isaac 

Railroads. — This    township    is    intersected  Davidson  arrived  in   1838.     James  -A.   P.reedea 

b\'   the    Illinois     Midland     Railway,    now    the  settknl,  in   J 853,  upon  section  9,  township   14, 

Vandalia      system,    running      genei-.ally      east  range  9,  and  built  the  lirst  house  on  the  prairie, 

and      west,     entering      it      near      the      north-  betwei-n  the  old  "Wallace  .Stand,"  near   llick- 

west     corner     of     section     4,    township      14,  ory  (lro\e,  and   the  Okaw  timber,   which   was 

range     8,    running     thence     cist     along     the  eight  miles  to  the  west. 

congressional    township    line     for    about    two  The  "Wallace  .St.and"  was  the  residence  of 

miles;    thence     southcastw  ardly.    leaving     the  .\.  (1.   W'.allace   for  souk-  years.      .Mr.    W'all.ace 

township  about  the  nn'ddle  of  the  east  line  of  is  noted  elsewhere  in  this  book.     John   i)a\is, 

section  8,  township  14,  range  10,  then  making  who  entered  his  land  in    1833,  arrived  in  the 

a  decided  large  curve  to  the  north,  and  liack  state  from  lirown  county,  Ohio,  in  September, 

again.  1834.      Me  died  in  .March.   iH(>~i.     .Sliiloah  (hi! 

This     extra     length     and     i'nr\atm"e     was  arrived  in   185J,  .nid  si.it led  on  the  l;md  entered 

caused  by  a  demand  on  the  part  of  the  citizens  by  his    father   in    1833.      (See  sketches  else- 

lliat  the  road  should  pass  within  a  mile  of  the  where.) 


;8 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


John  Barnet,  called  "J^ck"  by  everybody, 
came  from  Kentucky  to  the  Little  Vermillion 
in  1 832,  and  to  Coles  county,  since  Douglas, 
in  1842.  The  life  partners  of  several  prom- 
inent citizens  were  his  daughters. 

School  lands. — Section  16,  township  14, 
range  9  east,  the  "school"  section,  was  purchased 
from  the  state  in  the  first  instance  of  its  occu- 
pancy, each  section  16  having  been  set  apart  by 
law  for  the  use  of  schools.  The  sales  were  made 
in  1856.  John  Cofer  took  four  hundred  acres, 
and  W.  D.  Martin  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres.  It  was  surveyed  and  lotted  as  required 
by  law.  Lot  one  is  northeast  quarter  of  the 
northeast  quarter,  forty  and  two-thirds  acres; 
Lot  two  is  southeast  quarter  of  the  northeast 
quarter,  forty  and  two-thirds  acres;  three  is 
west  half  of  northeast  quarter,  eighty-one 
acres;  the  east  half  of  northwest  quarter  is 
Lot  four,  seventy-seven  acres;  northwest  quar- 
ter of  the  northwest  quarter;  thirty-eight  and 
one-half  acres,  is  five;  and  southwest  quarter 
of  the  northwest  quarter  is  six,  which  also  con- 
tains thirty-eight  and  one-half  acres. 

The  south  half  of  the  section  corresponds 
in  position  and  area.  This  lotting  was  arbi- 
trary, though  the  surveyor  ostensibly  preserved 
the  original  areas.  In  this  case,  the  east  half 
of  the  section  is  found  to  contain  seventeen 
acres  more  than  the  west  half.  It  is  fair,  then, 
to  suppose  that  the  quarter  section  corners  on 
the  north  line  and  on  the  south  line  must  have 
been  found  as  originally  surveyed  much  too 
far  west. 

Section  16,  township  15,  range  9,  another 
school  sectiiin  in  Bowdre  bounds,  was  lotted  in 
forty  and  eighty  acre  lots,  and  found  to  come 
out  exactly  even  all  around;  perhaps  it  was 
surveyed  in  the  house.    It  was  aparted  into  ten 


lots;  east  half  of  northeast  quarter  was  one, 
and  west  half  was  two  and  three;  east  half  of 
northwest  quarter  was  four,  and  west  half  of 
northwest  quarter  was  five  and  six;  tlie  south 
half  of  the  section  was  made  into  four  lots,  of 
even  eighty  acres  each. 

These  school  lands  were  sold  all  too  soon, 
and  consequently  almost  sacrificed,  bringing  in 
some  instances  as  low  as  two  dollars  per  acre. 
It  was  not  believed  in  those  days  that  the 
prairie  would  be  settled.  The  high  grass  and 
weeds,  and  the  absence  of  roads  added  to  the 
blank,  dreary  lookout  generally,  and  forbade 
the  idea  that  homes  would  ever  have  a  place 
there. 

As  late  as  185 1,  John  Davis  ofifered  to  sell 
lot  two,  southwest  quarter  of  section  6,  town- 
ship 15,  range  10,  eighty- four  acres,  for  the 
entry  money  he  had  paid  for  it,  viz.,  $1.25 
per  acre;  this  was  seventeen  years  after  he  had 
entered  it.     It  was  in  Camargo  township. 

Old  inhahltants. — H.  L.  Thornsbrue  is 
the  oldest  living  person  born  in  Doug- 
las county;  Mrs.  Mary  West,  relict  of. 
Thomas  West,  was  the  oldest  resident, 
and  settled  here  in  1834.  She  died  March  3, 
1884,  aged  seventy-nine,  after  a  residence  of 
half  a  century  in  the  county.  Issachar  Davis 
is  the  oldest  male  inhabitant,  his  residence 
here  dating  from  October  3,  1834.  Mr.  Davis 
was  a  farmer  and  land  surveyor.  He  was 
elected   county   surveyor   in    1863,    1S67   and 

1875. 

Churches. — In  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 16,  township  15,  range  9,  is  situated  Mt. 
Gilead  Methodist  church,  which  offers  conven- 
iences to  neighboring  church-goers.  .\t  Hugo  is 
Antioch  church.  The  Methodists  have  a 
church  in  section   14,  township   14,   range  9, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  79 

and  tlie  Cliristians  and   Metlindisfs  in  TTinds-  Hindsboro  is  a  good  business  center,  liav- 

boro.  ing  two  good  genera!   stores  and  two  enter- 

uiN'DsnoKo  viiLVGE  prising  grain  Iniycrs.     Its  ])o])ulation  is  about 

tbree  iiuneb-ecL 

Tbe  town  or  village  of  Hindsboro  is  situ-  Kemp  is  a  small  village  in  tliis  tnwnsbip. 

atcd  in  section  6,  14,  10,  and  was  laid  out  by  Hugo   lias   a   postot'tice   and    store   witli   a 

tbe  railroad  company  upon  tbe  lands  of  tbe  [xipulatiou  of  about  fifty.     It  is  tbe  scene  of 

Hinds    Brotbers    in    1<S74,    tbe    plat    covering  aljont   tbe   last  appearance  of  Indians   in   tbe 

al)(.iut  sixty-two  acres.     Tbe  railrnad  liere  runs  cnunt)',  a  trading  stnre  baving  lieen  kei)t  tbere 

about  soutbeast  and  tbe  plan  of  tbe  town  is  in  by  ime  Vessar  and  one  Hubbard  in   1829-30. 

conformity  witb   it,   tbe  principal   streets   be-  'flic    Indians. — Issacbar    Davis    said  tbat 

ing  at  rigbt  angles  and  parallel  witb  tbe  line  at     about     tbe     center     of     soutbwest     quar- 

of  tbe  mad.     Tbe  place  is  improving  rai)idly  ter     of     soutbeast     ((uarter     of     section     12, 

and  bas  claims  as  a  sbipping  [joint  wbicb  can  town^bip     15,    range    9,    and     on     tbe   nortb- 

not  be  ignored.     Here  Lodge  No.  571,  I.  O.  east    quarter    of    tbe    nortbwest    quarter    of 

O.  F.,  was  instituted  April  12,  1875,  tbe  first  section   13,  near  tbe  old  tracbng  post,  several 

officers  of  wbicb  were:    J.  Gerard,  N.  G. ;  B.  Indian  graves  bave  been  discovered  and  ex- 

F.  Strader,  V.  G. ;  J.  M.  Dwinnell,  secretary;  aniined.     Human  l.iones  were  found  in  eacb,  as 
and  James  Stites,  treasurer,  and  J.  (ierard,  D.  well  as  beatls  and  a  siUcr  broocb,  l)y  William 

G.  M.  Wile}'  and  Jobn  Welbxer.     .\  large  silver  crcs- 

Tbe  town  was  laid  off  in  1874,  being  sur-  cent,  five  or  six  incbes  in  diameter,  and  about 
veyed  by  H.  C.  Niles,  from  plans  furnisbed  by  two  and  one-balf  incbes  wide  at  its  broadest 
tlie  railroad,  wbicb  plans,  Ijy  tbe  way,  were  part,  was  alsii  secured.  Samuel  Cbeney,  a  for- 
cbanged  by  tbe  proprietors  before  tbe  town  mer  resident,  now  Ii\ing  near  Humbolt,  in 
was  surveyed,  but  after  a  map  r.f  tbe  town  bad  Coles  county,  saw  tbe  departure  of  tbe  last 
been  engraved  and  publisbed  in  ;ui  atlas  map;  band  of  Indians,  in  April,  1833.  lie  was  a 
ibis,  unfortunately,  makes  tbe  ])rinted  map  son  of  James  Cbeney,  wbo  came  t(j  tbe  neigb- 
worse  tbau  useless,  'idie  lots  and  blocks  were  borbood  in  1830,  and  tbe  lirst  wile  of  Issacbar 
laid  off  parallel,  and  at  rigbt  angles  to  tbe  rail-  Davis  was  a  sister  of  bis.  .Sbe  bad  a  (piantity 
road,  wbicb  bere  runs  about  soutbeast,  and  of  trinkets,  wbicb  sbe  b;id  procured  from  tbe 
consequently  bad  '"point"  lots  occtu"  .all  ai'ound  Indi.ans  by  tr.ading  provisions,  etc.  At  anotber 
tbe  borders  of  tbe  ])lat.  In  a  country  wbere  tbe  time,  tbe  corpse  of  an  Indian  was  ionnd  ag:nnsi 
cardinal  points  are  almost  universally  used  in  a  tree,  near  tbe  Embarrass,  and  not  far  from 
metes  and  bounds,  a  village  plan  not  "square  tbe  montb  of  Scattering  Fork, 
witb  tbe  world"  bas  many  inconveniences  for  .1  Cliristian  clmrch. — A  Cbristian  cburcb, 
wbicb  tbere  is  generally  no  necessity.  The  yclei)ed  ".\ntiocb,"  is  situatetl  bere  on  tbe 
village  is  improving  r;i])i(lly  and  bas  claims  as  soutbwest  cpiarter  of  ^.ection  12.  townsbip  15, 
a  sbi])ping  and  trading  point,  wbicb  are  rapidly  range  9,  wbicli  was  built  in  1881,  at  an  ex- 
growing  in  importance.  pense  of  about  twelve  hundred  dollars. 


8o 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Murder. — Bowdre  is  the  scene  of  the  second 
murder  committed  in  the  county,  Areola  City 
liaving  the  tirst,  third  and  fourth.  At  tlie  Feb- 
ruary term,  1871,  of  Douglas  county  circuit 
court,  O.  P.  Greenwood  was  indited  for 
the  murder  of  George  Mussett.  He  met 
him  in  tlie  woods  near  Hugo  and  shot 
him  with  a  rifle.  Greenwood  was  tried 
at  Charleston,  Coles  county,  on  a  change 
of  venue,  and  sentenced  to  the  peniten- 
tiary for  twenty-one  years.  Having  sur- 
rendered himself  to  the  officers,  and  as  there 
was  some  probability  of  self-defense,  as  well 
as  some  supposed  justification,  domestic  dif- 
ficulty being  the  cause  of  the  quarrel,  and  some 
other  extenuating  circumstances,  a  petition 
was  circulated  for  his  pardon,  which  prevailed 
after  Greenwood  had  served  about  seven  years. 
He  was  defended  by  Hon.  Thomas  E.  Bundy 
and  Hon.  James  A.  Connolly.  Hon.  J.  G. 
Cannon  was  engaged  to  conduct  the  prosecu- 
tion by  several  citizens  who  made  up  a  purse 
for  that  purpose.  Greenwood  afterward  lived 
a  while  in  Tuscola  and  removed  South. 

GARRETII   TOWNSHIP. 

Garrett  is  named  in  honor  of  Isam  Garrett. 
Before  township  organization  the  area,  as 
an  election  precinct,  was  much  smaller  than  at 
present.  It  was  bounded  on  the  east  by  the 
( )ka\v  river,  and  on  the  S(nith  l,)y  the  congres- 
sional township  line,  containing  only  about 
thirty  square  miles.  There  were  added  about 
twenty  more  when  the  townships  were  made, 
and  tlie  ea>t  line  was  extendetl  to  the  range 
or  township  line  on  the  east,  and  to  the  south 
jiart  was  addeil  two  tiers  of  sections  off  the 
north  end  of  the  congressional  township  on 


the  south.  As  now  constituted,  it  is  bounded 
on  the  north  and  on  the  west  by  the  county  line, 
on  the  south  by  the  township  of  Bourbon,  and 
on  the  east  by  Tuscola,  and  consists  of  all  of 
township  16  north,  of  range  7  east,  of  the  third 
principal  meridian,  and  sections  i  to  12  in- 
clusive, of  township  15  north,  of  range  7  east, 
the  total  area  in  square  miles  being  51.83,  the 
same  being  according  to  the  United  States 
government  survey  33,171-95  acres. 

This  is  the  shape  it  received  upon  the  adop- 
tion of  township  organization  in  1868,  a  partic- 
ular acccjunt  of  which  is  given  elsewhere  in 
this  volume.  A  section  of  land  is  usually  esti- 
mated to  contain  six  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
which  is  indeed  the  average,  the  exceptions 
being  the  fractional  sections,  occurring  on  the 
north  and  west  sides  of  all  townships  surveyed 
by  the  government.  The  north  tier  of  secticnis 
in  township  15  north,  range  7  east,  in  Garrett, 
one  to  six  inclusive,  are  all  over  one  thousand 
acres  in  area,  and  section  6,  township  15,  range 
7,  mostly  owned  byjames  Drew,  was  the  largest 
government  section  of  land  in  the  county,  con- 
taining 1,148.21  acres;  it  is  over  one  and  one- 
half  miles  in  north  and  south  length,  and  con- 
siderably over  one  mile  in  east  and  west 
measure. 

The  government  surveyors  were  instructed 
to  make  all  townships  of  thirty-six  sections  to 
contain,  as  near  as  may  be,  twenty-three  thou- 
sand and  forty  acres,  that  is  to  say,  to  l)e  six 
miles  square  and  include  thirty-six  sections. 
Township  16  north,  range  7  east,  is  the  only 
congressional  township  in  the  county  which 
"fills  the  bill."  the  area,  according  to  govern- 
ment survey,  being  exactly  the  proposed  area 
in  gross.  It  does  not  follow  that  each  section 
is  exactly  six  hundred  and  forty  acres. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Tupography,  drainage,  etc. — The  Kaskas-  land,  and  tlie  drains  are  constructed  at  an  e\- 

kia  river  traverses  the  east  tier  of  sections  in  pensc  of  about  twenty-cio-ht  humh-ed   dollars, 

this    sub-division    of    the    county,    and,    being  These  consist  of  large  open  ditches,  which  are 

here  near  the  very  scnnxe  of  this  river,  which  by  law  under  the  control  of  the  highway  coni- 

rises  in  Champaign  county,  depends  upon  the  missioners,   whose  duty  it  is  to  keep  llieni   in 

rainfall   for  its  waters.     It  is  therefore  about  repair  from  year  to  year,  the  same  :is   mads, 

dry  in  the  summer  months,  while  immediately  the  expense  of  which   is  met   by  ;i   tax   levied 

after  heavy  rains  it  comes  ui>  in  a  hurry,  and  u]>on  the  land  owners  in   the  district,    for  the 

becomes  a  rapid  stream  of  a  width  of  from  four  benefit  of  whom   the  original  district   was  or- 

to  six  rods,  and  in  the  north  part,  getting  out  ganized.     The  ditches  will  average  sixteen  feet 

of  the  banks,   has  an    indefinite  extent.      Tiie  in  width,  tlie  cost  of  construction  being  about 

sudden   rise  of  this  and   other  streams  in   the  one  dollar  per  lineal  rod.     C.  (i.  l-'ckcrl  was  the 

county   is   owing   materially   to   the   improved  attorney  for  the  commissioners,  who  also  c-m- 

system  of  farm  drainage,  which  of  late  years  ployed  II.  C.  Xiles  as  surveyor  and  engineer, 

has  so  much  obtained.     Every  man  who  ditches  The   work   was   regularly   staked   out   railroad 

his   land  at  all   in   this   region   is  contributing  fashion,  ami  the  elevations  taken.    These  drains 

to   the   waters   of   the   Okaw,   the   capacity   of  were   exceedingly    popular    in    their    inception, 

which  to  carry  off  the  accumulated  waters  is  very  much  the  contrary  when  the  tax  is  made 

comparatively  less  than  of  old,  which  naturally  known  and  collected,  and  the  pride  and  boast  of 

suggests  improvement,  and  it  is  only  a  (fues-  the  people  when  c.mipleted. 

tion   of   time    when    the    imi)rovement    of   our  The  highest  ])oinl   in  (iarrett   township  is, 

main  streams  will  be  considered  the  one  thing  probably,    near    the    southeast    corner    on    the 

needful  in  the  pn>per  drainage  of  the  farms  of  "(iruelle"  farm,  which  place,  by  actual  measure, 

the  county.      A   water  course   known   as   Dry  is  thirty  feet  higher  than  Tu.scola  :  the  bottom 

Fork  runs  through  the  tniddle  of  the  township  of  the  Okaw,  near  this  point,  is  tlnrtv-five  I'eet 

in  a  north  and  south  direction,  and,  I'alling  into  lower    th;m    this    highest    point,   which    is    a 

the  ()k;iw   at   the  south   line  of  the  township,  ■'dixide"    near    the    hue    of    Tuscola    ;ind    this 

is  an    important    carrier    for   the   ])rairie   lands  tiiwnslh]). 

to  the  north.  Lake  kork.  which  is  born  in  The  great  body  of  timber  in  (i.arrett  is  on 
Piatt  county,  comes  into  (larretl  li.alf  a  mile  the  south  side,  but  the  Okaw  in  its  entire 
south  ol  the  \illage  of  .\twood.  ;md  is  a  con  length  is  fringed,  as  it  were,  with  woods, 
tributor  to  the  Okaw  in  Ijonrbon  township;  On  the  west  side,  and  in  the  neighbor- 
like  all  prairie  water  courses,  it  is  wet  and  dry  hood  of  Lake  Porl-c,  many  small  but  attractive 
by  turns  and  nothing  long.  natural  groves  occur,  notabh'  on  the  lands  of 
The  drainage  commissioners  of  this  town-  Xathan  (iarrett  and  others;  and  in  the  heart 
ship  ha\-e,  on  petition  of  interested  parties,  of  the  woods,  near  the  south  center  of  the  town- 
established  a  large  drainage  district,  under  the  shi]i,  a  large  "■gl.ade"  occurs;  the  original  sur- 
statute,  which  is  sitnatetl  in  the  southwest  part,  \'e\'ors  calleil  it  a  "draught."  Coodsoii's 
contains    about    thirtv-two    hundred    acres    of  (irove   is   situated   at   the   northeast  corner  of 

6 


82 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


section  t,t,,  township  i6,  range  7,  and  is  a  nice 
little  piece  of  woods.  All  of  these  glades,  cut- 
offs and  groves  were  duly  noted  and  mapped 
liy  the  original  surveyors,  who  did  their  gov- 
ernment surveying  in  this  region  in  1821. 

Bowlders  of  granite  or  other  rock  are  rarely 
found  of  any  great  dimensions;  in  many  parts 
of  the  county,  whether  prairie  or  timlier,  they 
are  unknown,  while  in  otlier  sections  there  are 
enough  of  small  hulk,  weighing  from  one  hun- 
dred to  five  hundred  pounds,  to  obstruct  to 
some  extent  the  tilling  of  the  soil;  but  these 
are  few.  The  largest  granite  rock  in  the  coun- 
ty, visible  above  the  soil,  is  in  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  section  8,  township  16,  range  7,  upon  the 
farm  once  owned  by  Judge  Mullen,  in  this 
township.  It  stands  aliove  the  grotmd  about 
twelve  feet,  and  is  al)out  as  much  in  thickness. 
All  of  these  surface  rocks  have  been  rounded  by 
the  action  of  water,  and  have  evidently  lieen 
transported  by  natural  agencies  from  their  nat- 
ural beds.  A  glacier,  for  instance,  ages  ago, 
was  started  from  the  .Vrtics  as  a  frozen  river  of 
ice,  bearing  upon  its  bed  tons  of  rock,  which  it 
deposited  as  it  luelted  in  the  summer  heat  of  the 
then  temi>erate  zone.  .\n  extensive  ledge  of 
limestone,  which  makes  good  lime,  as  proven 
by  actual  Imsiness,  occurs  in  Sargent  town- 
ship (q.  v.). 

Railroads. — The  St.  Louis  liranch  of  the 
I.  D.  &  W.  Railway,  first  called  the  Indianap- 
olis &  Decatur,  afterward  the  Indiana  &  Illi- 
nois Central,  and  next  the  Indianapolis,  De- 
catur &  Springfield,  traverses  this  township 
from  east  to  west  along  the  luiddle  line  of  the 
south  tier  of  sections,  in  township  16  north, 
range  7  east,  and  is  a  straight  line  through  this 
township.      It   was   completed    here    in    1872. 

A   bridge  burned. — A  Hcjwe  truss  bridge 


over  the  Okaw,  west  side,  section  36,  township 
16,  range  7.  half  a  mile  west  of  Howe  Station 
was  maliciously  burned  nn  the  night  of  July 
3,  1873,  and  as  a  Fourth  of  July  excursion 
was  on  the  tapis  for  ne.xt  day,  it  is  difficult  to 
imagine  the  state  of  mind  of  the  fellow  who 
did  it.  By  withholding  his  name,  lie  has  lost 
the  distinction  of  being  Douglas  county's  great- 
est scoundrel. 

Laud  cutric;. — Among  the  first  entries  of 
land  in  Garrett  township  we  find  that  Jacob 
Lease,  in  December,  1834,  entered  the  north- 
east cjuarter  of  section  2_|,  township  16,  range 
7;  and  in  1835,  in  June,  J.  G.  Devault  took  the 
southeast  cpiarter  of  section  13,  township  16, 
range  7.  I.  F.  Lewis  entered  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  12,  township  16,  range  7,  in 
1836;  and  June  16,  1849,  Benjamin  Ellars 
located  and  patented  the  west  half  of  lot  i, 
northeast  quarter  of  section  2,  township  16, 
range  7,  and  other  lands.  Josiah  Hoots  owned 
a  large  body  of  land  in  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  township.  He  was  an  ancient  settler  of 
prominence  and  influence.  He  died  in  Octo- 
ber, 1876,  in  the  fifty-eighth  year  of  his  age. 
He  was  a  native  of  Salem,  North  Carolina, 
removed  to  Indiana  at  the  age  of  seven,  and 
subsequently  to  this  neighborhood,  of  which  he 
was  a  useful  citizen  for  about  thirty-eight  years. 
He  was  Ijuried,  Alasonically,  at  Cartright 
Chai)el,  three  miles  west  of  Tuscola,  by  Tuscola 
Lodge,  No.  ^^2,  of  which  he  was  an  ancient 
and  honored  member. 

According  to  legendary  report,  Lenuiel 
Randall  entered,  ]\Iarch  16,  1850,  the  four 
forties  lying  around  the  center  of  section  34, 
township  16.  range  7.  Thomas  Goodson  was 
with  Randall,  and  knowing  the  numbers  of 
the  land,  got  the  patent  for  him.     This  entry 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


was  made  before  the  railroad  had  selected  its 
lands,  hilt,  under  a  mistake,  the  railroad  tem- 
porarily gut  these.  Meanwhile,  Randall  had 
sold  to  Nathan  Drake,  who  had  transferred  to 
D.  Maris.  Drake  had  taken  the  precaution  of 
re-entering-  the  tracts,  having  had  intimation  of 
the  error.  The  books  at  the  office  still  showed 
it  til  be  railroad  land,  and  finally  the  land  entry 
Ixxik  of  the  county  shows  th.at  the  land  was 
really  and  finally  entered  by  J.  W.  L.  Slavens, 
February  22,  1865.  This  is,  then,  the  very 
last  entry  of  government  lands  in  Douglas 
county.  In  shi>rt,  the  railroad  never  had  ac- 
quired the  tracts,  and  they  were  left  open  to 
have  the  distinction  of  being  the  last  entries. 

Thesixteenth  section  in  township  16  north, 
range  7  east,  reser\-ed  for  schools,  the  title 
to  which  is  derived  from  the  state,  was  taken 
up  in  1854,  having  been  divided  into  eight  lots 
by  the  surveyor,  containing  se\'enty-eight  to 
seventy-nine  acres  each,  lot  i  lieing  the  east 
half  of  the  northwest  ([uarter.  J.  L.  Jordan 
took  two,  Harvey  Otter  one,  E.  T.  Roinine 
two,  J.  C.  \\"ythe  two,  etc. 

Pioneer  personals. — Isam  (larrett,  in  com- 
pliment to  will  nil  the  towiishi])  was  n;inicd, 
li\'ed  to  the  adxanced  age  of  eighty-two  \ears. 
He  died  February  14,  1880.  it  is  the  jiopular 
opinion  that  Mr.  Garrclt  ne\x-r  used  tobacco  ov 
dr.ank  spirits,  never  served  on  ;i  jury,  never  was 
a  witness  in  cmirt,  iie\er  sued  and  iie\er  was 
sued,  and  lli.-it  he  ne\er  tdld  a  lie  in  bis  life. 
He  was  an  educated  free-thinker,  and  held  that 
life  is  a  terrific  ])ri)lileni;  that  we  are  placed 
upon  this  earth  witliDiU  being  ci  insulted,  ;iiid 
rem()\-ed  \vitIiout  mir  consent:  and  that  the 
golden  rule  was  the  mily  guide:  and  to  "dn 
good  and  throw  it  into  the  sea;  if  the  fishes 
(ion"t  know  it,  God  will." 


Dr.  Thomas  Parsons,  of  this  township, 
was  a  imted  hunter  and  marksman,  and  now, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three,  shows  with 
pride  some  thirty  targets  which  he  has  pre- 
served for  many  years,  representing  his  vic- 
tories. These  are  about  two  inches  in  diameter, 
and  show  the  size  of  a  rifle  ball  reiieated  to  any 
extent  and  cutting  into  each  other  at  ;i]I  edges. 
The  Doctor  was  once  the  ])receptor  of  Galeb 
Garrett,  at  Terre  Haute,  as  a  carpenter  ;md 
builder. 

Mr.  Caleb  (i.arrett,  son  of  Isani,  reiiresented 
the  county  of  \'igo  in  lndi;iiia  in  1842,  and  was 
re-elected  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  He  settled 
in  Douglas  county  in  1847,  served  on  the  first 
grand  jury,  w.as  justice  of  the  peace  in  1854, 
and  for  some  years  after.  He  was  also  fir.st 
supervisor  of  Garrett  t<iwnsliip.  He  first 
bought  land  in  the  west  jiarl  of  the  township, 
sub.se(:[ueiitly  accumulated  other  and  larger 
tracts,  and  in  M.ay,  1865,  sold  out  and  trans- 
ferred his  farming  interests  to  Tuscijla  town- 
ship by  [lurchase. 

H.ar\e}'  Otter,  James  Drew,  Jacob  Mos- 
barger.  Dr.  D.  A.  Meeker,  William  i  lowe  and 
William  hollars  were  of  the  early  settlers. 
I  lowe  ;irri\e(l  in  the  jiresent  bounds  of  Doug- 
las county  in  i8_:;S.  Ik-  wc-iil  to  ( '.-ilifornia  in 
1850,  ;md  returned  in  1853:  he  w;is  one  of 
the  largest  Land  owners  in  the  tow  nslii]) :  was 
elected  supervisor  of  ||r-  lownslii|i  in  1876, 
and  again  in  188,^,  ;iii(l  in  1884  William  Ellars' 
family  came  from  (_)Iiio  and  settled  in  the  Okaw 
timber  near  the  north  line,  in  1849,  at  which 
time  there  was  not  a  settler  on  the  prairie  to 
the  west. 

Joseph  Moore,  or,  to  put  it  more  exactly, 
"Old  Joe  Moore."  arrived  in  tlie  present  bounds 
of  Douglas  county  in  1S32.     He  was  the  re- 


84 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


l)0.sitory  of  all  the  jokes,  good,  bad  and  indif- 
ferent, illustrative  of  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  earlier  days. 

Thomas  Goodson  entered  the  north  half 
of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  tovvn- 
■ship  16,  range  7,  July  9,  1850,  and  other  lands; 
he  continued  a  resident  until  lately,  when  he 
died,  leaving  numerous  descendants  and  a  large 
estate.  Goodson  was  a  great  hunter;  he  once 
killed  two  deer  with  a  single  ball,  on  what  is 
now  the  farm  of  William  Brian  in  the  north- 
east part  of  the  township;  he  assisted  in  the  ex- 
termination of  the  \'ery  last  family  of  wild 
cats  found  in  the  Okaw  timber.  He  relates  that 
he  cut  a  large  tree  for  rail  timber  in  the  exact 
spot  where  he  had  cut  a  similar  one  thirty- 
six  years  before.  Notwithstanding  the  large 
Cjuantities  of  timber  used  for  building,  fuel  and 
fencing  in  the  early  days,  the  cjuestion  whether 
the  timber  is  holding  its  own  or  not  is  an  open 
one.  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact,  in  this  connection, 
and  without  the  slightest  intention  of  reflecting 
upon  any  old  settler,  it  may  be  stated  that  the 
timber  belonging  to  the  lands  of  actual  settlers 
remained  in  good  condition  much  longer  than 
that  of  the  government,  it  being  understood 
that  all  settlers  had  a  kind  of  right  to  use  gov- 
ernment timber;  the  timber  lands  of  non-resi- 
dents, which  were  called  si)eculator's  lands, 
were  included  un<Icr  the  same  head,  and  some 
of  the  early  ilebating  societies  had  up  the  f|ues- 
tion,  whether  the  owners  of  such  lands  had  any 
rights  which  anybody  was  bound  to  respect, 
and  being  decided  in  the  negative,"bowed  the 
woods  beneath  their  sturdy  stroke." 

John  Lester  and  his  sons,  Samuel  and  Sigler 
H.,  were  of  the  first  comers.  Samuel  Lester 
entered  his  first  land  in  section  i,  township  15, 
range  7,  in  1S.55,  and  u[)  to  1838  had  entered 


all  the  north  half  of  the  section,  eight  hundred 
acres.  Sigler  H.  entered,  in  April,  1836,  the 
west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
25,  township  16,  range  7.  and  subsequently 
other  lands.  These  sons  died,  Samuel  in  i860 
and  Sigler  in  1864,  leaving  large  estates  to 
numerous  descendants,  which  lands,  however, 
by  either  mischance  or  choice,  have  passed  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  families.  The  Lesters  were 
men  of  great  natural  force  and  decision  of  char- 
acter, and  like  most  other  people  were  great 
hunters.  Goodson  related  that  John  Lester 
once  cut  a  large  bee  tree,  and  converting  it  into  a 
gum,  stood  it  upon  end  full  of  honey  and  cov- 
ered it  with  a  slab,  leaving  it  for  a  more  con- 
venient season.  Goodson  had  just  killed  three 
deer,  and  finding  the  gum  ready  to  his  hand, 
filled  it  up  with  tallow,  and  did  this  to  save  it 
from  the  ravens,  for  at  that  time  ravens  were 
plenty ;  they  were  larger  than  the  common 
crow,  and  are  since  extinct  here.  Lester,  re- 
turning and  finding  tallow  in  the  place  of  his 
hone_v  could  not  understand  how  anybody 
would  rob  him  of  his  honey  and  leave  tallow  in 
exchange,  the  latter  being  much  more  valuable. 
F.  C.  INlullen  entered  his  first  land  in  sec- 
tion 28,  township  16,  range  7,  in  1850.  He 
came  from  Delaware,  and  was  the  second 
county  judge  of  the  new  county  of  Douglas. 
/Mxuit  these  days  Judge  Mullen  was  travehng 
l(.iwar(l  his  home  from  Vandalia,  where  he  had 
been  entering  lanil.  and  upon  reaching  Sulli- 
van, in  Moultrie  county,  his  traveling  com- 
panion suggested  that  they  should  go  at  once 
to  the  ta\ern  and  take  a  drink.  Mullen  pre- 
ferred to  first  take  care  of  the  horses,  and  diil 
so,  which  made  some  delay;  they  then  pro- 
ceeded toward  the  tavern,  and  learned  that 
William  Campl)ell,  an  old  resident  of  this  town- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  85 


slii]).  liad  licen  ruMicd  of  (nie  hundred  and  fifty  iiniinn.     The  dogs,  after  running-  down,  would 

dollars  in  i;old :  that  every  man  in  the  saloon  kill  a  deer  and  eat   (ill  satisfied,  and   the  onlv 

had  heen  searched  and  the  money  not   found.  tn>])hies  secured  in  the  first  ease  was  the  head, 

It  is  somewhat  interesting  to  speculate  as  to  horns  and  a  I'oot,  as  the  relics  of  the  "hio-o-cst 

what  might  have  been  the  consequences  to  the  huck."     In  this  fiat  country  there  was  almost 

Judge  on  this  occasion,  if  he  had  not  heen  for-  no  vantage-ground  for  the  deer;  he  ran  till  he 

Innately  delayed,  for  he  had  just  arrived  a  jjcr-  could    run    no    more,    and    was    too    much    e\- 

fect  stranger  and   had   on   his  person   in   gold  hansted   to  fight.     A   "stag  at  l)a\'"   was  rai'e, 

precisely   the  amount   they   were   looking   for.  ;uid  to  he  in  at  the  death  took  rajiid  riding  .and 

The  chase. — Hunting  at  the  i)ro])er  .season      g 1   shooting;    the   horses  enjoyed    the   sjxirt 

occupied  the  attention  of  the  early  settlers  con-  ;uid  learned  to  run  hv  sight, 

siderahly,  and  a  principal  part  of  the  living  was  Many  persons  rememher  the  rece])tion  these 

venison  ;  this,  with  the  natural  love  of  the  sport  hounds  ga\-e  e\erv  visitor  to  the  various  farms. 

born  in  and   with  more  enterprising  and  vig-  1  le  would  ride  up  to  the  house,  and  if  he  ])assed 

orous  of  the  settlers,   made  the  pursuit  a   fa-  along,  all  riglu,  hut  if  he  stopped  and  gave  the 

vorite.       Isaac     L.    Jordan     and     his    brother  customary    "hello!"    ten    or    a    dozen    houmls 

"Wash."   faleb  and   Xatliau  ( larrett,   Thomas  rushed    toward    him,   with    an    open-mouthed 

Goodson    and    the    I,esters    were    enthusiastic  deei)  baying  .salute  that   would   m.ake  the  hair 

hunters.       The     (iarretts     and     Jordans     had  of  a  timid  man  "stand  on  end,"  but  all  he  had 

amongst  them  about  twenty-tne  hounds.      Fn  to  do  to  restoi'e  perfect  peace  was  to  "li'dit." 

iS5;v  while  on  ;i  wolf  hunt.  Jord.m  .and  Garrett  It  was  only  a  bay  of  welcome,  and  ;i  notice  to 

liad  followed  the  trail  from  their  neighborhood  the  family  that  perhaps  a  wayfarer  wanted  his 

to  the  present  site  or  Tuscola,  eight  miles,  and  supper  and  a  bed. 

the  peculiar  action  of  a  favorite  Ixmnd  attract-  ./  lyiichiii;^. — .Mr.  J.  1..  hirdau.of  this  town- 
ing  the  attention  of  Jordan,  he,  with  his  e.\-  shi]),  informed  me  that  in  the  case  of  Ivuching 
perience  as  a  hunter,  immediately  called  the  <ir  "1  )olpir'  Monroe,  of  Coles  countv,  in  18^4, 
dogs  off  the  trail  of  the  wolf,  though  it  hail  the  entire  jury  was  .selected  from  the  i)resent 
been  getting  warm,  and  began  cautiously  to  area  of  D.niglas  county,  lie  shot  and  killed 
e.\ploi-c  for  deer,  the  nobler  game.  In  a  few  his  f.alher-in  l;iw,  N.  k'Hington,  the  circuit 
moments,  in  the  low  ground,  just  about  where  clerk  of  Coles  Cdunlv,  and  w;is  hung  by  a  mob 
the  Illinois  Central  Railmad  depot  now  stands  in  January,  1N35,  at  Charleston.  The  jury 
in  Tuscola,  he  raised  the  largest  buck  ever  seen  was  com]iosed  of  William  and  |ames  K.  1  lam- 
in  their  experience.  The  buck  started  off  SI >nth-  mett.  Coleman  r.right.  Henry  I. owe  and  bilin 
west  and  was  run  down  and  kilfeil  by  the  dogs  I'rahme,  of  Camargo  township;  .\m/i  Wild- 
in  the  Gruelle  I'arm.   I'our  miles  southwest.  m.an.   1.   \ ..  Jnrda.n  ami    Israel   Harris,  of  (iar- 

On  another  occasion  a  trained  hound  conr  rett:  .S.  .\Uwers.  D.aniel  Martin.  Scpn're  .Adams 

l)elled  the  attention  of  G.arrett   and  conducted  and   Dan   hosier;   thc\-  brought  in  a  \erdict  of 

him   to  a   place   where   the   dogs   had   killed   a  '  nun-der  in  the  lirst  degree."     This  mob  had 

deer,    which    they    had    chased   T)f   their   own  no   occasion    to    violate   the    law,    but    having 


86 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


come  to  see  the  show,  and  fearing  disappoiiit- 
ineiit,  concluded  to  have  the  show  anyway. 
Mr.  Jordan,  and  otliers  of  tlie  jury,  tliink  they 
could  have  prevented  it,  if  present.  It  is  tlie 
blackest  blot  on  Coles  county,  of  which  Douglas 
was  then  a  part. 

By  the  way,  is  not  the  fact  that  burglaries 
and  robberies  in  the  earlier  days  were  rare, 
owing  to  something  besides  the  honesty  and 
scarcity  of  valuables  amongst  the  people.  The 
lierception,  memory  and  observation  of  the 
residents  were  sharpened  by  the  want  of  gov- 
erniuent.  and  no  man  could  pass  through  the 
country  without  being  es])ecially  marked  and 
remembered;  not  from  suspicimi — this  rarely 
obtained — but  from  a  habit  of  ol)ser\ation,  born 
partly  of  their  isolated  position,  and  some- 
what of  their  thirst  for  news.  A  man  on  horse- 
back, or  "any  other  man,"  who  went  through 
the  country,  could  be  traced  a  hundred  miles, 
and  if  necessarv.  overtaken. 

The  "spirit  of  ilw  fiinrs." — The  residence 
of  I.  L.  Jordan,  north  half  of  the  soutliwest 
quarter,  and  southeast  quarter  of  the  south- 
west (|uarter  of  section  29,  township  16,  range 
7  (lands  which  he  entered  in  1852),  being  ceii- 
tral  in  the  township,  was  a  point  for  elections 
and  other  public  meetings ;  it  was  also  made  a 
center  for  the  collection  of  taxes  by  the  sheriff, 
wIk^  was  then  "sheriff  and  collector"  under  the 
old  irgiinc  (l^efore  1868)  and  county  organiza- 
tion. Ujion  one  occasion.  1859,  the  first  sheriff, 
Sam  Logan,  had  made  his  collections  at  "Jor- 
dan's," as  it  was  called,  when  ni>t  onl}-  had 
the  ])eople  generally  met  liim  there  to  pay  ta.xes 
according  to  notice,  but  Jonlan  was  shelling 
corn  with  twelve  or  fourteen  hands.  Sam  had 
his  saddle-liags  with  him,  containing  the  re- 
sults of  two  or  three  days'  collections,  wdiich 


were  augmented  at  this  place.  About  night, 
after  "Sam"  had  partaken  of  the  hospitalities 
of  "Ike,"  which  any  (jld  settler  who  knows 
either  will  certify  were  not  stinted,  he  mounted 
his  horse  and  started  for  Tuscola,  to  deposit 
his  money.  At  about  half  past  ten  o'clock — 
pretty  late,  in  those  days,  for  men  who  began 
wcn-k  at  four  A.  M. — Jordan,  in  bed,  heard  the 
customary  "hello,"  and,  as  usual,  responded 
promptly,  expecting  to  entertain  a  belated  trav- 
eler. It  was  "Sam;"  and  tlie  next  word  was. 
of  cour.se.  "light."  But  Sam  said.  "No,  I  can't 
stiip.  I  hung  my  saddle-bags  on  the  corner  of 
the  stable,  forgot  them,  and  went  off.  and  now 
they  are  not  there."  Ike.  after  joking  him  a 
good  deal,  which  he  couldn't  help,  handed  him 
to  him,  ancl  Sam  went  on  his  way  rejoicing. 
The  saddle-bags  contained  about  twenty-five 
hundred  dollars.  This  little  incident  is  related 
to  sliow  the  spirit  of  the  times.  Sam  probably 
took  his  "pile."  and  going  on  to  Tuscola  quietly 
tleposited — well,  simply  woke  up  some  mer- 
chant, at  a  store,  and,  making  up  his  package, 
a  conglomerate  mass  of  wild-cat  money  issued 
by  almost  everv  bank  in  North  America, 
slapped  it  into  such  a  safe  as  was  used,  and 
calmly  went  on  his  way,  or  more  likely  went 
to  bed  where  he  struck.  The  only  banks  were 
the  safes  of  merchants — \\'yeth.  Craddock  & 
Co.,  J.  i\I.  Smith.  Davis  &  Ensey,  etc.  Every 
fellow  called  for  his  money  when  he  wanted  it, 
and  always  got  it.  The  depositors  would  often 
])ermit  the  merchant  to  use  some  of  the  money, 
and  always  got  it  on  call.  This  mutual  con- 
fidence was  never  abused,  though  they  never 
t(M:)k  receipts. 

AT  WOOD    \ILL.\GE. 

The  village  of  Atwood  is  situated  on  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  87 

west  line  of  the  tmvnsliii),  at  the  ci>unty  line,  ami  lilocks,  with  some  rescr\ations.     This  led 

lyini^-  partly  in  both   the  counties  of  Douglas  to  some   confusion,   many   deeds   liaN-ing   heon 

and   Piatt,  and  on  cither  side  of  the  east  and  nia<Ie  without  the  sign.iture  of  all  the  parties, 

west  railroad,  its  location  being  in  section  30,  but  which  was  finally  cured  l.iy  quil-clainu'ui^' 

towaiship  16  north,  range  7  east.     Har\'y  Otter  back  to  the  first  owners  of  the  land, 

contributed     the    southwest    cpiarter    of    the  J'irst  slore. — The  first  store  in  tlie  \illage 

northwest    (piarter.    and    George    Nolin<l    the  was  a  dry  goods  establishment   ])\-    llellon   & 

north   half  of  the  southwest  quarter;    Ritchie  l*>arrctt.    at    the    southwest    corner    of    (.'ountv 

and  others  "put  in"  laud  in  Piatt  county.     It  street  and  South  I'ront  street. 

was  laid  off  on   paper  liy   Patterson,   lirst   as-  Cliiirdics. — The  first  clunxdi  ercctdl  in  the 

sistant  engineer  of  tlie  railroad,  and  surxeycd  village    is    the    New-Light    Christian    chui-ch, 

by  .Mr.  Xiles,  the  then  county  sur\eyor,  in  1S73.  which  was  built  in  iSSo  at  an  expense  of  about 

In   those  years,   the  county  sur\-eyor   was,   by  fourteen    liundred    dollars.      It    is      fiuaiished 

law,  the  only  person  qualified  to  sur\cy  town  with  a  good  bell,  costing  eighty  dollars,  and 

lots,  the  law  l)eing  changed,  so  that  any  coin-  commands  in  its  memliership  many  of  the  best 

petent  siu"\'eyor  can  now  act.  citizens.    They  are  not  the  same  as  the  Discii)les 

The  streets  arc  n.amed  East  A  street,  East  of  (du-ist,  which  is  the  Christian  church,  who 

B  street  and   East  C  street,   etc.,   and   North  added  the  present  edifice  subsecjuently,  at  a  cost 

Front,  North  Second,  North  Third,  etc..     The  of  about  sixteen  hundred  d(.)llars.    This  church 

Douglas  County  jjlat  consists  of  blocks,  which  has  also  a  godd  bell.     These  bells  chime  in  lov- 

are  generally   forty    feet   front   by    one    hnn-  ing  unison,  and  in  iheir  sweet  accord  gi\c  no 

ch'cd   and   fifty   feet;   streets,   lanes  and   alleys  intimation  of  tlu-ir  preferences. 

are      jjarallel      with      and      at      right      angles  The  Methodist  cluu-ch  was  rcmoxed   from 

to   the    railroad,   and    the    whule   is   compactly  Mackxille  as  part  of  the  exodus  therefrom  in 

and  conxenicntly  arranged.     The  railroad,  be-  1883.      The    building    is    worth    ;ibont    twelve 

.sides  the  usual   right-ot-way   i"eser\'ed   of  one  hundred    dollars.    ;uid    the    cost    of   moving    it 

hundred   feet   wide,   h;is  also  reser\-ed   a   tract  was  about  two  hundred  dollars, 

north  of  its  line  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide.  We  ha\  e  in  little  Douglas  the  Presbyterians 

and  extending  east  fn  mi  the  county  line  eleven  .-iml  the  Cunibei-laud    rresbvicrians,  the  .Metli- 

hundred  feet,  nearly   four  acres.     The  dcdica-  oilist   l".piscop;iI,  the  Methodist   Protestant,  the 

tioii  of  the  lots  and  blocks,  in  the  signing  of  the  I-'rce   .Methodist,  the   l'".])isco])aliaiis,  the  C'hris- 

])l;Us  for  record,  was  m;ide  jointlv  bv  the  orig-  tiau  church  ;uid  the  "(  )ld   Xew-I -iglit"  Chris- 

in.al  proprietors  of  the  l;ind,  ;md  II.  C.  Moore,  tiau   church,   and   two  kinds  of    Paptists,   etc., 

the  su](erinteiidcnt  of  the  railway,   1  l;iiiimond,  ;uid   :iw  thus  able  to  offer    1,'icilities  to  trnth- 

the  i)rcsidcnt.  and  T.  11.  Macougbtry,  the  rail-  seekers  not  to  be  surpassed  by  any  county  of 

roaci  attorney,  the  owners  of  the  ground  hav-  our  size  in  the  st.ate. 

ing,  l(ir  certain  considerations,  agreed  to  give  /'//(•  /TiW.v. — The  rn"st  newspaper  [lublished 

these  gentlemen  a   half-interest  in  all  the  lots  in   the    village   was   the   .\twood    Indeiiendent, 


88 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


and.  under  tlie  charge  of  S.  W.  and  F.  E. 
Lucas,  made  its  salutatory  on  Decemlser  14. 
1883.     (See  sketch  of  Wilham  E.  Means.) 

Incorporation. — Decemlier  14,  1883,  a  pe- 
tition was  filed  with  W.  H.  Bassett,  county 
judge,  signed  1)y  tliirty  legal  voters  residing 
witliin  certain  territory,  tlie  greater  portion  of 
which  hes  in  Douglas  county,  setting  forth  a 
desire  to  become  incorporated  as  the  "village  of 
Atwood ;"  that  the  number  of  inhabitants  in  the 
proposed  bounds  was  three  hundred.  The 
county  judge  accordingly  fixed  uixni  Jaiui- 
ary  g,  T884,  as  the  time,  and  the  office  of  J. 
W.  Merritt,  J.  P..  as  the  place,  when  and  where 
the  election  should  be  held,  and  he  appointed 
as  judges  of  election  James  A.  Hawks,  M.  C. 
Drake  and  A.  L.  Marshall,  which  gentlemen, 
in  due  course,  made  the  following  report : 

There  were  cast  at  such  election :  For  vil- 
lage organization,  sixty-six  votes;  against  vil- 
lage organization,  forty-two  votes;  total,  one 
hundred  and  twentj'-eight  votes. 

The  area  of  the  c'iHagc. — The  territory  in- 
cluded in  the  \illage  incorporation  is  com- 
prised of  the  west  half  of  the  northwest  quarter 
of  the  northwest  quarter,  and  the  southwest 
quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter,  and  the  west 
half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  the  northwest 
(piarter,  and  the  west  half  of  the  northeast 
quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter,  and  the  north 
half  (if  the  southwest  cfuarter  of  the  southwest 
quarter,  and  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  south- 
west  (piarter  in  section  31,  in  Douglas  county; 
and  the  east  half  of  the  northeast  cpiarter  of  the 
northeast  quarter,  and  the  southeast  quarter  of 
the  northeast  quarter,  and  the  east  half  of  the 
southwest,  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter, 
and  the  east  quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter 
of   the   southeast   quarter,    and    the   northeast 


quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter,  and  the  north 
half  of  the  southeast  (|uarter  of  the  southeast 
quarter  in  section  36  in  Piatt  county,  all  in 
township  16  north,  being  in  area  two  hundred 
and  ninety  acres,  of  which  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  are  in  Douglas,  leaving  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  in  Piatt  county. 

The  matter  was  prepared  and  concluded  by 
C.  G.  Eckhart,  Esq.,  of  Tuscola.     * 

Atwood  at  present  has  se\eral  first-class 
stores,  a  bank,  a  good  hotel,  a  newspaper,  good 
churches  and  schools  and  has  a  poi)ulation  of 
about  six  hundred  people. 

Garrett  has  been  represented  at  the  county 
seat  by  F.  C.  Mullen,  who  was  elected  county 
judge  in  1861.  This  was  under  the  old  style 
(if  county  organization  which  stopped  in  1868. 
I.  L.  Jordan  was  elected  sheriff  in  1864.  Caleb 
Garrett  was  the  first  supervisor  of  the  township, 
elected  in  1S68.  He  was  succeeded  b}'  William 
Ellars  in  1869.  who  was  re-elected  in  1870- 
71-72,  being  followed  by  J.  W.  Hackett  in 
1873,  Thomas  Owen  in  1874,  and  by  Josiah 
Hoots  in  1875.  William  Howe  was  in  the  same 
position  in  1876.  1882  and  1883;  Jason  Green 
was  elected  in  1877,  and  is  the  only  Democrat 
placed  in  that  office  to  date.  He  was  re-elected 
in  1878-79.  Claus  Greve,  a  naturalized  Ger- 
man, was  sent  in  in  1880,  and  Green  was  re- 
turned again  in  1881,  and  returned  in  1882. 

The  village  of  Garrett  has  of  recent  years 
became  (|uite  a  trading  point;  with  good  school 
and  church.  It  has  a  p(jpulation  of  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty. 

.SARGENT    TOWNSHIP. 

Derivation  of  name,  bounds,  area,  etc. — 
Sargent  township  takes  its  name  from  that  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


89 


one  of  its  oldest  settlers  and  who  was  one  of  the 
most  prominent  business  and  cattle  farmers — 
Snowden  Sargent.  In  the  old  Coles  county  days 
it  was  a  part  of  "Oakland  precinct,"  set  off  for 
election  purposes,  and  that  ])art  which  I'cniained 
in  Doug'las,  after  the  formation  nf  the  new 
county,  took  the  name  of  Sargent  precinct,  and 
was  very  small,  ha\ing'  only  about  twenty-three 
.square  miles.  It  was  bounded  on  the  east  and 
south  by  the  county  line,  on  the  north  by  a 
line  from  corner  of  sections  \().  17,  20  and  jt, 
running'  east  to  Edgar  county,  and  it  had  a 
southwest  boundary  at  the  Embarrass  river, 
which  separated  it  from  Deer  Creek,  since 
T'xiwdre  township.  Sargent  at  the  time  of 
township  organization,  in  186S,  was  made 
into  its  present  shape,  and  is  l)oun<led  on  the 
east  and  south  by  the  county  line,  on  the  west 
by  Bowdre  and  on  the  north  by  Murdoch  and 
Newman,  the  north  line  beginning  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  section  9,  township  14,  range 
14  west,  and  running  thence  west  on  the  sec- 
tion lines  about  sc\en  miles  to  the  northwest 
corner  of  section  9.  township  15,  range  9  east, 
and  thence  south  on  the  section  lines  eight  miles 
to  the  south  county  line.  It  contains  fifty-two 
sections  of  land,  which  includes,  howexcr,  only 
46.45  scpiare  miles,  and  conse(|uently  comprise 
29,728.94  acres,  and  in  area  ranks  Xo.  5  in  the 
county,  the  discrepancy  between  the  number 
of  .sections  and  number  of  scjuare  miles  being 
accounted  for  h\-  tlu'  fact  that  m;m_\'  ol  the  sec- 
lions  are  \erv  small — those  in  what  is  called 
township  15  north,  of  range  11  cast,  nnining 
from  two  hundred  to  three  hundred  and  fifty 
acres,  their  surveyed  wiflth  being  little  o\er  one 
quarter  of  a  mile.  The  smallest  govennncnt 
section  of  land  in  the  county  is  in  this  town- 


ship— section  7,  township  15,  range  11 — and 
has  only  198.38  acres. 

Surface  features. — A  large  part  of  the 
township  is  prairie,  perhaps  two-thirds;  the 
balance  is  the  usual  proportion  of  timber 
land  along  the  borders  of  the  creeks,  of  which 
"Brushy  b'ork,"  an  affiuent  of  the  lunb.arrass 
river,  comes  in  on  the  north  line,  and  fiows 
southwesterly  tow;ii-d  the  west  side,  when  it 
joins  the  larger  ci'cek,  the  lunbari'ass,  in  sec- 
tion _'S,  township  15,  range  10,  and  their 
mingled  waters  then  run  southeasterly  until 
they  leave  the  county  at  the  south  side  of  sec- 
tion I,  township  14,  range  10,  nnining  two  or 
three  miles  in  Coles  comity  and  re-entering 
Douglas  on  the  east  side  of  .section  15,  township 
14,  range  10.  Deer  Creek  comes  in  from  the 
west,  and  also  joins  the  Embarrass  in  the  north 
part  of  section  },2i.  township  15,  range  lO.  Sev- 
eral other  natural  water-courses  of  smaller  di- 
mensions flow  into  these  creeks  at  various 
points,  and  in  the  west  part  provide  amply  for 
drainage. 

The  southeast  jiart  being  somewhat  level, 
a  drainage  district  is  in  process  of  development, 
under  the  statute,  which,  as  soon  as  the  advan- 
tages are  realized,  will  be  followed  by  others, 
as  is  always  the  case. 

The  highest  jioint  in  the  township,  if  not 
in  the  county,  and  at  least  ri\aling  in  ele\atioii 
the  "Ridge"  in  Newman  townshi]),  was.  upon 
the  farm  of  Andrew  (iwinn,  h'.sq..  where  the 
government  erected  an  ohserc'itory.  This  is 
a  wooden  structure  of  a  height  of  about  <>nc 
hundred  feet,  from  which  to  take  instrumental 
observations  for  the  connection  of  the  triangu- 
lar snrvev  of  the  great  lakes  with  that  of  the 
I\lississii)pi  river  and  the  gull  coasts. 


90 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


I 

Old  Settlers. — Among  tlie  most  prominent  Land   entries. — Tlie   first   entries    of    land 

of  the  earliest  settlers  was  Snowden  Sargent,  were  made  in  1830.  We  find  that  in  this  year 
for  whom  the  township  was  named.  He  made  lands  were  entered  by  Eli  Sargent,  I.  Ashmore, 
his  first  visit  to  the  state  in  1830,  and  entered  Amos  Leslie,  Joseph  Redding,  Jr.,  David  Sears, 
four  hundred  acres  of  land  at  the  oflice  at  Pal-  Samuel  Moore,  Pharmer  Leslie  and  Hez. 
estine,  and  passed  through  all  the  usual  vicis-  Rhoades.  North  half  nf  the  northeast  quarter 
situdes  and  privations  of  pioneer  life,  and  be-  of  section  i,  township  14,  range  10,  was  en- 
tered in  this  year  by  Sargent,  who  also  took 
large   bodies   of   other   lands   in   the   vicinity. 


came  eventually  one  of  the  largest  land  owners 
in  the  county ;  dying  in  1875,  he  left  a  large  es- 
tate to  his  descendants. 

Andrew  Gwinn   settled  here  before    1836, 
from  his  last  location  in  Indiana,  and  visited 


In  1 83 1,  June  i.  John  Laughlin  took  lot  2, 
northwest  (|uarter  of  section  2,  township  14, 
range  10,  and  other  lands.     In  the  same  year 

the  Richmans  in  Camargo  (who  were  the  first  Stanton   Pemberton  covered  several  tracts  in 

settlers  in  the  county,  1830).     His  lands,  ad-  section  10.  township  14,  range  10.       Pharmer 

joining   Mr.    Sargent's   and   together   occupy-  Leslie,  October  29,  1830,  entered  the  west  half 

ing  so  much  territory,  made  the  establishment  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  2;^,  town- 

of  a  school  district  quite  a  problem.     He  had  ship  15,  range  10,  and  east  half  of  the  northeast 

the    largest    farm    in    Douglas    county — three  quarter  of  section  34,  township  15,  range  10. 

thousand  and  one  hundred  acres.  In  1834  S.  and  R.  S.  Williams  entered  large 

I.   W.   Burgett  lived   in   this  township   for  bodies  of  land,  taking  all  of  section  9,  township 

more  than   forty  years,  and  controlled  about  14,  range  10,  and  the  school  section.     Joseph 

sixteen  hundred   acres  of  land,  all  of  which  P.  Winkler.  March   11,    1835,  took  northeast 

had  been  accumulated  since  his  residence  there,  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  7, 

He   represented    his   township    for   about    six  township  15,  range  14.     Daniel  Landers,  1836, 

consecutive  years  as  supervisor,  antl  afterward  November  30,  northwest  quarter  of  the  south- 

for   four  years   more.      Mr.    Burgett   died   of  west  quarter  of  section  14,  townsliip  15,  range 

typhoid   fever   February    13,    1884.      He   was  10.      Snowden  Sargent,    1835,   November   13, 

fifty-five  years  of  age,  and  had  resided  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  of 

state  forty-five  years.     He  was  a  man  of  gixid  section    i,  township   14,   range   10,  and  other 

appearance  and  fine  business  ability.  lands.     Daniel  Miller,  May  24,  1837,  entered 

Other   early    settlers   were    the    Reddings,  east  half  of  the  .southwest  quarter  of  section  1 1, 

Samuel  Allison — Casebeer,  B.  F.  Coykendall,  township   15,  range  10,  and  Reuben  Donalds, 

William  Hancock  and  W.  F.  Murphy.     Jo.se-  1837,    February   22.   and    May   29,    northeast 

phus  Redding  was  born  in  Edgar  county  in  fjuarter  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  i, 

1829,  and  came  to  this  region  in  1831,  when  township   14,  range   10,  and  east  half  of  tlie 

two  years  of  age.     Samuel  Allison  arrived  in  northeast  quarter  of  section  6,  township    14, 

1853,   since  deceased.      Coykendall   arrived   in  range  14.     Henry  K.  Potts  .settled  in  this  town- 

1847,  and  I.  W.  Burgett  in  1839.    W.  F.  Mur-  ship  in  1856.     Robert  Matson,  1835,  April  20, 

phy  bought  his  first  land  here  in  1850.  entered  northwest  quarter  of  section  22,  town- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  91 

sliip    It,   range     10;    in    1837,   tlie    nortlieast  ti) '■Rrusliy  Fork."  wliicli  is  the  only  post  office 

quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  27,  in  the  township. 

township  15,  range  10,  and  in  1839,  May  27,  A  jjroposed  city  called  Columbus  was  reg- 
the  east  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  ularly  laid  out  in  February,  1841,  on  the  land 
21,  township  15,  range  10.  There  is  some  ac-  of  James  H.  Hicks,  on  the  west  side  of  the  east 
count  of  him  in  Bowdre  township  (q.  v.).  In  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  35, 
18^7,  Tnne  28,  Isaac  Wells,  north  half  of  the  townshi])  15  north,  of  range  10  east,  and  con- 
southeast  quarter  of  section  7,  township  15,  tained  about  forty  acres.  The  land  was  en- 
range  10.  Same  year,  June  i,  John  Hopping,  tered  by  Eli  Sargent  October  29,  1830.  The 
southwest  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  town  was  surveyed  by  S.  Sconce,  Coles  county 
sectin  33,  townshi])  15,  range  10.  Jonathan  sur\'eyor,  for  Hicks,  who  does  not  appear  to 
W.  Powers  entered,  in  1849  to  1857,  the  south  have  had  any  deed  tn  the  land, 
half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  5,  town-  County  office  holders. — Residents,  both 
ship  14,  range  14,  and  other  lands.  Cornelius  former  and  present,  of  this  township  h;i\e  had 
Hopkins  took  the  mirthwest  quarter  of  the  nnich  to  do  with  the  public  business.  William 
southeast  quarter  or  section  7,  township  15,  Hancock  was  the  first  assessor  and  treasurer 
range  14.  and  other  lands,  August  23,  1849;  of  the  new  county,  having  been  elected  with  the 
and  Robert  Albin,  on  March  4,  1850,  entered  first  corps  of  officers  in  1859.  James  H.  Shaw- 
the  northeast  quarter  of  tlie  southeast  quarter  of  ban  was  elected  sheriff  in  187 1,  to  fill  the  unex- 
section  7,  township  15,  range  14,  and  subse-  pired  term  of  Cooper,  of  Bourlion  township, 
quently  other  lands,  'inhere  are  few  if  any  en-  who  had  disappeared  in  company  with  Bourbon 
tries  in  the  years  intervening  between  1840  and  townshi])  fluids.  I.  W.  liurgett  was  the  first 
1841;.  supervisor. 

The  railroad  crosses  the  southwest  part  of 

the  township,  entering  at  the  west  side  of  sec-  ml'RDOCK  township. 
tion   <;,    tiiwnship    14,    range    10,    and    Ica\ing 

at  east  side  of  section  15,  same  townshi]),  where  Erection,  etc. — In  years,  area  and  ]i<)i)ula- 
it  crosses  the  Embarrass  river  on  a  substantial  tion,  com])ared  with  the  other  ])olitical  sub- 
bridge  of  some  six  hundred  feet  in  length.  This  (Hvisions  of  Douglas  county.  Miu'dock  town- 
road  got  no  subsiih-  f n  im  the  tinvnshiit.  The  shi])  ranks  number  nine  and  last,  ha\'ing  been 
Toledo,  Cincinnati  iV  St.  Louis  Railroad  crosses  created  at  the  December  meeting  of  the  .board 
the  southeast  corner  in  section  4,  townshi])  14,  of  su])er\isors  in    1882. 

range   14,  having  been  constructctl  along  here  The    ]>etition    for    the    new    townshi])    was 

ill    1881.  closely    followed    by    a    counter])etilion    in    the 

I'illages,  etc. — There  is  no  trading  point  slia])e  of  a   remonstrance  leading  to  a  warm 

of  com])arative  imi)ortance  in  the  townshi]),  the  discussion  of  the  "pros  and  cons,"  it  being  held 

business  of  the  ])eoi)le,  with  regard  to  ,shi])ping  and  strenuously  maintained  that  the  board  held 

d  i:)0St  office,  going  jurisdiction  only  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  ])ro- 


92 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


posed  new  territory,  and  not  of  those  out  of 
whose  area  tlie  new  townsliip  was  to  he  made. 
This  nice  distinction  evolved  from  the  ingenuity 
of  the  attorneys,  cUd  not,  liowever,  prevail;  the 
matter  was  taken  to  the  circuit  court  on  appeal, 
and  at  the  Octoher  term,  1883,  the  action  of  the 
l)oard  heing  confirmed,  Murdock  became  an 
independent  township.  The  name  of  the  town- 
ship was  given  in  compliment  to  John  D.  Mur- 
dock, an  old  resident  yet  li\-ing  (see  sketch)- 

lis  area. — The  area  is  made  up  from 
twenty-two  square  miles  of  territory,  which 
were  generously  donated  by  the  township  of 
Camargo  on  the  west,  and  about  se\'en  from 
Newman,  which  lie  upon  the  east  side.  It  in- 
cludes the  west  twenty-four  sections  of  town- 
ship 16  north,  of  range  10  east,  of  third  prin- 
cipal meridian,  and  sections  2,  3,  4  and  5  of 
township  15  north,  of  range  10  east,  compris- 
ing twenty-eight  regular  sections,  containing, 
according  to  the  United  States  government 
survey,  30.65  square  miles,  the  same  being 
19,617.61  acres,  being  the  smallest  township 
in  the  county. 

With  regard  to  the  first  entries  of  lands  in 
this  township,  while  there  were  some  very  early 
entries,  most  of  the  lands,  being  all  prairie, 
were  taken  up  along  about  1852-53,  which 
years  seem  to  have  been  at  the  close  of  a  period 
in  which  the  government  lands  were  tempor- 
arily withdrawn  from  sale  pending  the  location 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  and  its  selec- 
tions of  lands  witliin  the  six-mile  limit,  which 
limit  was  afterward  extended  to  fifteen  miles 
to  enable  the  road  to  supply  the  quantity  i_)f 
lands  not  found  in  the  first  limit.  The  latter 
extended  limit  takes  in  all  of  Murdock. 

On  February  2^,  1853,  William  Cline  en- 


tered the  east  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  2,  township  15,  range  10.  This  is  the 
extreme  southeast  eighty  acres  in  the  townshii). 
The  first  entry  made  was  by  James  Brewer 
June  18,  1847;  'le  entered  lot  No.  2  of  the 
northwest  (|uarter  of  section  31,  township  16, 
range  10,  and  Samuel  Roderick  took  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  30,  township  16,  range 
10,  in  1849.  J-  Y.  Campbell  entered  se\eral 
tracts,  as  alsD  Jdhn  Tenbrook  and  the  Baileys, 
1852  to  1855. 

THE    VILLAGE    OF    MURDOCK. 

This  village,  established  antl  named  before 
the  township  was  made,  is  situated  generally 
on  the  north  side  of  the  I.  D.  &  W.  railroad, 
and  between  it  and  the  east  and  west  half-mile 
line  of  section  t,;^.  township  16  north,  range 
10  east.  It  was  laid  oft'  by  the  I\Iurdi_icks  in 
September,  1881.  It  was  shortly  afterward 
followed  by  an  addition  made  by  R.  F.  Helm 
on  the  north  side  of  the  east  and  west  public 
road.  The  railroad  has  a  reserve  on  the  north 
side  of  its  track,  about  eighty  rods  long  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  wide,  and  a 
right-of-way  on  the  south  side  of  fifty  feet;  a 
roomy  side  track  is  estabhshed  which  gives 
ample  facilities  to  shippers  in  the  \icinity. 

Mr.  S.  Ba.xter  purchased  a  few  acres  di- 
rectly east  of  the  village,  where  he  erectetl 
several  neat  tenant  houses  which  assist  in  gi\-- 
ing  Murdock  tlie  air  of  quite  a  busy  place;  this 
is  further  assisted  by  the  elevator  erected  by 
the  Murdocks  in  1878,  and  later  by  Fred  P. 
Rush  &  Co.,  of  Indianapolis. 

The  Methodists,  with  their  pro\-erbial  zeai, 
erected  a  substantial  church  here,  and  finished 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  93 


it  in  October,  i88_',  ahout  as  soon  as  the  town  ship,  formerly  of  Sargent,  was  elected  sheriff 

was  laid  ont.     It  has  a  steeple  and  a  ninety-  in   1871,   and   also  served  several  years   wilh 

dollar  hell,  the  cost  of  the  strnctnre  heing  in  all  credit  as  highway  commissioner, 

abont  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  The  sur\e\-ors  appointed   by  the  court  in 

Fairland  is  a  new  and  thriving  village  in  October,  1871,  were  Edmund  l-'ish,  of  Areola; 

the  northwest  part  of  the  township.     It  contains  H.  C.  Niles,  of  Tu.scola,  and  A.   H.  Guy,  of 

several    first-class    stores,   good    church    and  \'ermilion  county.     They  worked  a  week  at  it 

school.     The  l)usiness  men  are  mostly  young  and    reported    to   court.      The   case    was   tried 

men  and  are  thoroughly  in  touch  with  the  ad-  three  times  for  various  reasons,  and  finally  .set- 

vance  of  the  times.     It  has  one  l)ank,  the  Fair-  tied  down  to  the  lines  made  Ity  the  commi.s- 

land    Exchange    Bank,    which    was    recently  sioners.     Mr.  Is.sachar  Davis,  surveyor  in  the 

founded  by  John  (juinn  (see  .sketch  ).  neighborhood,    gave    the    bo.-u'd    valuable    and 

The  first  township  ofiicers  were:  Su])er-  willing  assistance.  The  confusion  mostly  arose 
visor,  David  Smith;  as.sessor,  W.  C.  Whallcu;  originally  from  a  proven  nnstake  of  the  <jrig- 
collector.  R.  F.  Helm;  justice,  S.  Baxter,  And  inal  government  surveyors,  they  having  left 
in  the  distribution  of  county  officers  Alurdock  two  corners  on  the  range  line,  which  they  re- 
has  had  a  share.  Among  those  who  live  wilh-  corded  as  twenty-two  rods  apart,  while,  iden- 
in  the  present  bounds,  JNIr.  John  D.  .Murdoch,  tified,  they  proved  to  be  only  six  rods  apart, 
from  whom  the  township  was  named,  was  The  writer  has  seen  the  original  figures  made 
elected  in  1859  one  of  the  first  two  associate  by  the  government  surveyor,  and  the  i)roof  on 
justices  of  the  county,  and  was  re-elected  in  the  grouml.  The  controversy  arose  from  the 
1861.  This  was.  of  course,  prior  to  townshi])  situation  of  a  thirty-five-acre  piece  belonging 
organization.  The  county  board  consisted  of  to  John  Brown,  which  the  surveyors  in  their 
a  judge  and  two  associate  judges.  Mr.  Mur-  re])ort  dubbed  the  "John  Brown  tract."  This 
dock  served  his  first  term  with  James  Irving,  whole  contro\crsy  was  conducted  by  the  inter- 
of  Areola,  as  judge,  the  other  associate  being  ested  parties  with  a  m;uilv  and  fair  spirit,  much 
Robert  Hopkins,  of  Xewman.  In  his  second  sujjerior  to  the  temper  usually  ni.-nufesled  on 
term,  he  was  with  F.  t".  Mullen,  of  Garrett.  ;is  such  occasions;  though  Sliiloh  Gill  says  that 
judge,  and  Calel)  r.ales.  of  Arcol;i.  .'IS  the  other  he  and  lirown  had  worn  out  a  certain  fence 
associate.  It  was  \iuiler  the  care  and  m;ni;ige  lour  times  in  trx'ing  to  coiifdrm  to  ilie  \arious 
nient  ot  the  Last  n.'uned  board  that  the  court  opinions  of  its  true  place,  h'ach  moved  the 
house  was  contracted  for  and  begun.  A  large  fence  every  time  the  other  fellow  got  a  new 
part  of  the  business  of  this  day.  the  e.arly  days  wrinkle  from  anybody,  and  the  surveying  busi- 
of  the  county,  was  the  location  of  new  public  ness  in  the  close  neighborhood  was  good  until 
roa<ls.  The  board  wiiuld  a])i)oint  three  comnns-  llie  c<imnn'ssion  sur\-eyors  came  along  and 
sioners,  one  always  the  surveyor,  to  view  the  spoiled  the  job. 
road,  and  rei)ort  at  next  term.  There  w;is  (|uile 
an  epidemic  of  roads  these  times.  tl'scol.v  .vnd  tuscoi..\  township. 

James  H.  .Shawhan.  now  of  the  new  town-  Origin    of   llic   uaiiic. — The   name  of  this 


94 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


township  is  derived  from  that  of  the  city,  but 
the  origin  of  it  is  involved  in  obscurity,  the 
most  dihgent  in<|uiry  liaving  failed  to  disclose 
its  source,  or  to  draw  out  any  account  of  it 
which  promised  satisfaction.  Tlascala  in  Mex- 
ico, Tusculum,  in  Italy,  and  Tuscaloosa,  Ala- 
bama, etc.,  have  been  suggested  as  possible 
bases  for  a  guess,  but  have  yielded  no  convic- 
tion. The  idea  that  the  name  is  of  Indian  ori- 
gin has  been  generally  fallen  back  upon  as  the 
only  hopeful  solution,  in  which  the  anxious 
inquirers  are  joined  by  a  prominent  citizen  of 
a  county  of  the  same  name  in  Michigan. 
Township  organization  was  adopted  in  1867 
and  inaugurated  in  1868.  Joseph  B.  McCown, 
of  Camargo,  H.  B.  Evans,  of  Tuscola,  and  L. 
McAllister,  of  Areola,  were  appointed  by  the 
county  court  to  divide  the  county  into  more 
convenient  political  subdivisions. 

The  railroads. — The  township  is  traversed 
by  the  Chicago  branch  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  running  about  north  and  south,  di- 
viding it  into  nearly  equal  parts.  The  road 
enters  at  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  3, 
township  16,  range  8,  and  leaves  at  south  line 
of  section  10,  township  15,  range  8,  and  is  a 
straight  line  tJirough  the  county,  varying  from 
true  north,  however,  about  seven  degrees;  that 
is  to  say,  it  bears  to  the  right  just  about  forty 
njds  to  the  mile. 

This  road  has  a  right  of  way  two  hundred 
feet  wide  through  the  township,  which  reserve 
is  inclosed  for  the  most  part  with  a  substantial 
fence  as  required  by  law,  and  occupies  twenty- 
four  acres  of  land  for  every  mile  it  traverses, 
being  in  the  aggregate  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  in  the  township ;  the  difference  to  land 
tax  payers  along  the  line  of  the  road  was  an 
item  of  importance  and  resisted,  until  by  con- 


sent, as  it  were,  the  railroad  reserve  was  grad- 
ually eliminated  from  the  acres  of  the  adjoining 
land  owner. 

The  township  is  also  intersected  by  the  St. 
Louis  branch  of  the  Indianapolis,  Bloomington 
&  Western  Railroad,  which  runs  east  and  west 
through  it,  along,  very  nearly,  the  middle  line  of 
the  south  tier  of  sections  in  township  16  north, 
range  8  east,  crossing  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road at  Tuscola.  The  road  was  finished 
through  the  township  in  1872;  was  chartered 
under  the  name  of  the  Indiana  &  Illinois  Cen- 
tral in  1852,  and  as  Decatur  &  Indianapolis 
was  legalized  in  1853;  it  remained,  however, 
under  the  name  of  Indiana  &  Illinois  Central 
until  1876,  when  upon  re-organization  it  re- 
ceived the  name  of  Indianapolis,  Decatur  & 
Springfield,  and  finally  was  known  as  the  St. 
Louis  branch  of  the  Indianapolis,  Bloomington 
&  Western,  having  been  leased  to  that  corpora- 
tion for  ninety-nine  years.  The  road  is  now 
known  as  the  I.  D.  &  W. 

A  road  was  surveyed  from  Tuscola  City 
northeastward,  to  be  called  the  Danville,  Tus- 
cola &  Western,  which  was  instituted  by  Tus- 
cola people.  The  preliminary  surveying  was 
begun  in  January,  1872,  under  the  direction  of 
James  Davis,  Esq.,  assisted  by  Thomas  E. 
Bundy,  the  attorney  for  the  road,  the  chief  en- 
gineer being  H.  C.  Niles.  A  year  was  con- 
sumed in  the  location  and  in  trying  to  meet  the 
wishes  of  everybody,  and  grading  was  for  the 
greater  part  completed  nearly  to  Danville;  but 
the  panic  of  1872-73  calling  a  halt,  and  the 
railway  business  generally  receiving  a  sudden 
check,  it  was  found  impossible  to  build  the 
road  with  the  means  at  command.  It  was 
subsequently  completed  and  is  now  known  as 
the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois  Railroad. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


95 


Early  cnlrics  of  laud  and  firsi  settlers. — • 
Being  all  prairie,  the  towiishi])  was  of  the  latest 
settled,  the  tirst  comers,  as  a  general  rule,  keep- 
ing close  to  the  timber  for  its  seeming  protec- 
tion. The  prairie  was  considered  a  bleak,  bar- 
ren waste,  unfit  for  habitation  or  cultivation, 
the  magnificent  richness  of  the  soil  not  being 
appreciated  by  men  accustomed  to  hilly  wood- 
lands. The  timber  was  con\enient  for  fuel, 
building  and  fencing,  and  men  clung  to  it,  for 
it  was  considered  injudicious  to  exjjose  one's 
self  and  family  to  the  full  sweep  of  the  winter 
storms  and  the  annual  and  really  (Jangerous 
jjrairie  fires. 

The  first  entries  of  land  we  find  are  about  as 
follows:  Sigler  H.  Lester.  December  5.  1836, 
entered  west  half  of  the  northwest  (piarter  of 
section  30,  town  16,  range  8;  John  Hammer, 
May,  1837,  north  half  of  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  18,  town  lO,  range  8;  1837,  July  22, 
Jacob  ]Moore  took  lot  .2,  southwest  (piarter  of 
section  30,  town  16,  range  8;  the  l)ulk  of  the 
lands  entered  l)y  him  were  si.x  miles  south; 
June  19,  1838,  Thomas  Lewis  entered  lot  2. 
southwest  fpiarter  of  section  18.  town  I'l,  range 
8;  1837.  Samuel  Lester,  on  lots  3  and  4.  north- 
east tpiarter  of  section  6,  town  15.  range  8, 
and  other  large  lands:  1S49,  William  Brian, 
niirth  half  of  the  mirtheast  cpiarter  of  section 
icj,  town  16,  range  8.  Mr.  Bri.an  ilistributed 
his  lands  among  his  children,  otherwise  lie 
would  have  been  the  l.'trgest  land  owner  in  the 
county.  JMost  of  the  Land  entries  were  matlc  in 
1852-53.  Up  to  that  time  it  appears  that  there 
was  a  check  upon  settlements  of  Lands  by  en- 
try, or  rather  the  buying  of  such  lands,  the  dis- 
trict for  the  most  i)art  being  withdrawn  from 
sale  i)ending  the  location  of  the  Illinois  Central 
I'iailroad,  and  its  selection  of  the  lands  granted 


it  by  government.  In  1853  II.  Sandford  en- 
tered the  northeast  (piarter  of  section  33,  town 
16,  range  8,  which  adjoins  Tuscola  on  the  west, 
and  in  the  ])almy  days  was  lirmly  lield  at  one 
hundred  dollars  per  acre.  Amongst  the  active 
and  i)rominent  of  earlier  settlers,  as  farmers 
and  cattle  men,  were  C).  C.  and  M.  V.  Ilackett, 
Owen  J.  Jones  and  Joseph  W.  Smith  in  the 
south  i)art,  and  in  the  north  B.  F.  Boggs,  Ben- 
ham  Xelson,  George  P.  Phinney  and  Caleb  Gar- 
rett, He  emigrated  from  the  adjoining  town- 
ship of  (iarrett  in  1874.  .\mple  notes  of  the 
career  and  infiuence  of  many  of  these  gentle- 
men will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

The  si.xteenth  section  in  every  congressional 
township  was,  by  law,  set  ai)art  for  sale  for  the 
use  of  schools,  and  so  sold  l)y  the  state.  It  was 
re(]uired  to  be  surveyed  into  lots,  the  utility  of 
which  is  not  clear,  as  the  government  subdi- 
visions would  have  answered  every  purpose  of 
description. 

Section  16,  t(jwn  16  north,  range  8  east,  in 
Tuscola  t(3wnship,  was  divided  into  sixteen  lots, 
e;ich  lot  being  one  of  the  original  ffirty-acre 
tracts;  the  numbering  Ijegan  in  the  northeast 
corner  ;ind  ended  in  the  southeast.  The  ])ur- 
chases  were  made  in  1857.  W.  P.  Carter  took 
si.x  of  them  ;  T.  G.  Chambers  two ;  J.  l'~.  Parcels 
four;  Le  Poy  Wiley  four.  Idiere  is  no  record 
aulhiirit_\'  in  Douglas  county  i'or  the  number- 
ing, the  only  guide  lieing  the  \arious  coiu'ey- 
ances.  which,  however,  generally  give  the  num- 
ber of  the  li}t  as  well  as  the  regular  subdivision. 

First  to'i^'ii  /iicctiii!^. — The  first  town  meet- 
ing after  townshi])  organization  was  held  at 
'I'uscola  in  1808.  The  meeting  was  called  to 
order  by  W.  H.  Lamb;  S.  D.  Stevenson  was 
elected  moderator  and  C.  F.  Lamb  clerk.  A 
committee  of  five  was  appointed  to  di\-i(le  the 


96 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


townslii])  intij  road  districts.  It  was  made  up 
of  G.  P.  Phinney,  A.  Mc  NeiH,  J.  McGinniss, 
James  Jester  ami  Josiah  McKee.  The  place  of 
this  meeting  is  not  given,  but  it  was  arranged 
that  the  next  should  be  held  at  J.  B.  Hart's 
store,  northeast  corner  of  Central  avenue  and 
Parke  street.  Here  O.  C.  Hackett  was  elected 
the  first  supervisor,  with  a  majority  of  only 
one  vote  over  W.  B.  Ervin.  Thomas  E.  Bundy 
exceeded  the  vote  of  H.  C.  Sluss  by  six  votes. 
C.  H.  Griffith  was  elected  assessor  by  getting 
iwo  votes  more  than  J.  H.  Purdy,  and  S.  Pad- 
dleford  was  made  the  first  collector,  defeating 
C.  F.  Lamb  by  fifty-eight  votes.  J.  M.  Ephlin 
was  the  first  constable  and  was  chosen  at  this 
election.  W.  H.  Wood  was  the  first  justice  of 
the  peace.  The  first  commissioners  of  high- 
ways, and  who  were  elected  on  this  occasion, 
were  Benham  Nelson,  Noah  Ammen  and  W. 
Brian. 

The  original  fozuii  of  Tuscola. — The  orig- 
inal town  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Illinois  , 
Central  Railroad,  and  extends  eastward  to 
Niles  avenue,  which  is  the  north  and  south 
center  line  of  section  34,  and  is  the  street  upon 
which  stand  the  schoolhouse  and  Methodist 
church.  This  avenue  was  begun  by  Mr.  Can- 
non in  his  addition  to  Tuscola,  with  the  gen- 
erous width  of  seventy-five  feet,  but  unfor- 
tunately the  sin-veyor  or  proprietor  of  subse- 
quent additions  saw  fit  to  cut  it  down  to  sixty 
feet.  The  bound  of  the  original  town  on  the 
south  is  the  south  line  of  the  section  at  the 
township  line,  and  it  is  met  on  the  north  by 
Winston's  addition,  which  is  one-quarter  of  a 

mile  wide. 

IVinston's  addition. — The  first  addition  to 
Tuscola  was  made  by  A.  B.  Newkirk,  of  Chi- 
cago, and  consists  of  the  north  half  of  north- 


west quarter  of  section  34,  township  16  north, 
of  range  8  east,  and  was  surveyed  by  H.  C. 
Niles,  the  county  surveyor,  in  August,   1859, 
assisted  by  Henry  Beach,  who  afterward  built 
the  first  Beach  House.     The  blocks  in  this  ad- 
dition, nearly  four  hundred  feet  square,  are  di- 
vided generally  into  four  lots,  which  all  lay 
square  with  the  world,  except  at  the  railroatl. 
The  streets  are  of  the  generous  width  of  sixty- 
six  feet,  being  six  feet  wider  than  those  of  the 
original  town,  upon  which  they  join.    No  street 
was  made  between  this  and  the  original  town. 
JVaiiisley    &    Cannon's   addition. — In    the 
spring   of    i860    William    Wamsley,    with    J. 
G.  Cannon  as  manager,  laid  off  into  lots  and 
blocks  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  34,  town  16  north,  range  8 
east,  making  sixteen  blocks,  the  west  tier  of 
which  was  subdivided  into  quarters,  the  sur- 
veying of  which   was  done  by   Niles.      Niles 
avenue,  on  the  west,  was  named  in  compliment 
to  the  surveyor  and  is  seventy-five  feet  wide, 
as  also  is  the  next  avenue  east.     Both  of  these 
beautiful  streets  have  been  spoiled  by  the  mis 
taken  economy,  or  perhaps  want  of  informa- 
tion, of  the  proprietors  of  the  subsequent  addi- 
tions on  the  north,  when  they  suddenly  fell  to 
a  width  of  sixty  feet,  and  not  only  that,  but  no 
regard  or  attention  was  paid  to  the  abutting 
streets  in  the  prior  addition;  the  result  is  the 
streets,  as  it  were,  hit  nowhere  even,  the  lot 
bounds  do  not  "line,"  and  the  people  find  fault 
with  the  surveyors  when  shown  the  facts. 

Kelly's  addition. — Kelly's  addition  (by  the 
way,  there  is  never  any  "first"  addition),  No- 
vember 13,  1 86 1,  followed  by  his  second  De- 
cember 30,  1S64,  consists  of  the  southwest 
quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  and  the  north- 
west quarter  of  the  southeast  (quarter  of  section 


I 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  97 

J4,  town  16,  range  8,  eiglity  acres,  and  was  sur-  di-ed;    H.    F>.    I[\ans  was  the  enumerator.     At 

\eyed  by  E.  C.  Siler.  county  surveyor.     In  the  the  tenth  census.  1880,  tlie  population  was  about 

first  addition.  liowe\er.  lie  was  the  deputy  ot  the  same;  within  th.'it  decade  the  city  had  not 

Niles.     The  lots  were  made  large,  to  meet  a  progressed  much  in  the  \\a\- of  extending  areas 

seeming  demand  for  such,  among  which  streets,  or  erecting  new  buildings.     While  |)rogi-ess  in 

lanes  and  alleys  were  \ery  scarce.    The  progress  this  respect  has  not  been  obser\e<l.  it  is  notable 

of  the  times  has  e\'entually  forceil  through  sev-  that   'i'uscola   is  one  of  the   neatest    and    best- 

eral  highways.     Robert  Kelly,  of  Indiana,  was  ke|)t   \illages  in   the  centr.il   ]);irt   of  the  st.ate. 

the   i)rojector  of  these   .additions,      lie   \\;is   a  I'oiu'teen  miles  of  sul)stantial  sidewalk,  a  Large 

Ouak"er  of  standing  ;m<I  nuich  liusiness  .aliihty.  part  of  which   is  eight   and   twehe   feet   wide. 

Mal/wrs'     uddition. — The     next     addition  conduct    the    exploring    stranger    dr\--sho(]    to 

made  was  called   Mathers'  northeast  .addition,  churches,  school  houses,  etc..  in  fact,  t.ake  him 

and  comprised   the  cast   h.alf  of  the  northeast  au\'where,    except    to   a    saloon.      Careful    and 

(piarter  and  the  northwest  (|uarter  of  the  north-  systematic  attention  has  been  gi\en  to  sanit.a- 

east  (|uarter  ol  section  34.  town  I'l  north,  r.ange  tion.  ami  breaches  of  the  ])ul)lic  peace  .are  r.are. 

8  cast,  one  humlred  .and  twenty  acres.     It  was  The  census  of  i8(jo  gives  Tuscola  eighteen  liun- 

sur\eyed  July   u.   18(14.  by  V..  C.  .Silcr,  county  dred  and  ninely-se\en  .and  it  has  a  present  po|)- 

surveyor.    under    the    ]iroprictoi-ship    of    John  ul.ation  of  about  three  thousand. 

AI,athei"s.  who  ji.id  prexionsly  ;ici|uireil  .an  inter-  luirix   rvrnls. — The   lir>t    house   which   .ap- 

est  in  the  Lands  of  the  origin.al    Tow  n  Comp,an\ .  ]ieared    in   Tuscol.a   w.as  a    part    of   the   ])resent 

The  greater  ]i.aia  ol   ibis  ,additi(in  was  Laid  mU  dwelling  of  TlKnnas  S.  .Sluss.  at  tlie  northwest 

into  lots  or  blocks,  coiu.aunug  in  gross  .about  corner   of    Main    .and    1  ).agg\'    streets.       It    was 

ten  .acres,  ;nid   h.as  since  ln'cn  used  almost  ex-  pl.aced  there  b\-  William  (handler,  who  h.auled 

clusixely  lor  l.arming  Lands.     'I'he  streets  in  this  it    from    the   close   neighborhood    of    llourbon. 

portion  ol  'l'usco];i  di  1  n(  it  coulorm  to  those  in  lie  occupied  it  .awhile  and  soLJ  it.  building  sub- 

ihe  origin.al   tiiwn.  not   only  being  of  differeiU  seipieiUK'   the   dwelling    now    st.anding  directly 

widths.    lnU    ilo    not    f.airl_\-    meet    the    origin.al  cast, 

streets.  dbi'  lirst   house  built    w.as  ilu'  store  .at   the 

Ccnirliiis'     (uldilion. — Cornelius"     .addition  r.ailroad.  on  tlu'  north  side  of  !^ale  street,  long 

consists  of  abotit    IwetUv  acia's  of  laud   in   the  since  gone.     .Siniou  (i.   ILassetl.  briither  of  I  )r. 

southwest    coiaier   ol    the   secti(jn,   being  .a    re-  II.  J.    Il.assett.  of    Tuscola,   w.as  the  hrsi   post- 

ser\ed  |)oiaion  of  tlu'  origin.al   town   pl.al.  .and  m.aster  .as  well  as  expix'ss  .and  lieiglit  .ageiU. 

lying  east  of  the  Illinois  Centr;d   R.'iilro.ad.  and  The  sec  .nd  house  huh  w  .as  eia'cted  on  I'aike 

north  of  the  south  line  of  the  section.      The  lots  street,  cast  si(k',  near  the  pieseni   brick',  snuth 

,are  ol   gi  md  ,a\er,age  si/e.  with  .a  location  not  ol  .Sale  street;  it  was]int  up  by  A.  I,.  ()tis. 

\ery  desirable.      It  was  Laid  out  b\-  1'.  S.  Cor-  Tlu'  third  house  built   w.as  the  residence  of 

nelius  .and  sur\e\ed  b\-  .\iles  August   K).   1870.      Thom.as  W Iv.  erected  on  the  northwest  cor- 

Pii/^iihit!i)ii  iiinl  cinniitiiiu. — The  popul.ation  ner  of  Centr.al  <a\enue  .and  Alain  street,  whence 

of  the  city  in    1870  w.as  ]il,aced  ,at  tifteen  hun-  it  was  removed.      Thomas  Woody  was  the  t.a- 


98 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


ther  of  A.  M.  Woody,  wlio  served  as  mayor  of 
the  city  for  the  four  years  ending-  in  April, 
1883.  Tliomas  Woody  was  an  active  Metli- 
odist.  and  hefore  tlie  day  of  churches  he  and 
his  wife,  with  A.  G.  Wallace  and  wife,  associ- 
ated with  Mrs.  Dr.  Bassett  and  Mrs.  Kuhn, 
were  the  only  church  people  in  the  place  who 
had  any  aptitude  for  conducting  religious 
exercises.  Class  and  prayer  meetings  were 
held  m  Mr.  Woody "s  house  for  several  years 
after  Mr.  Woody's  arrival.  He  died  in  No- 
vemher,   1883.  with   full  honors. 

The  tirst  child  horn  in  the  place  was  Miss 
May  Wallace,  daughter  of  .\.  G.  Wallace. 
Mrs.  Has.  Moore,  iicc  May  Chandler,  daugh- 
ter of  William  Chandler,  moved  here  from 
Bourbon  at  the  age  of  six  years. 

The  first  store  was  a  grocery,  built  on  the 
north  side  of  the  court  house  square  by  B.  F. 
Lewis,  now  a  farmer  northwest  of  town.  The 
next  was  probably  the  drug  store  of  Dr.  J.  W. 
Wright,  which  was  located  in  the  present  one- 
and-a-half-story  dwelling,  now  standing  di- 
rectly east  of  the  old  court  house.  These 
two  proprietors  were  compelled  to  yield  to 
the  logic  of  events,  both  eventually  pulling  uj> 
stakes  and  moving  down  into  town.  The 
Lewis  store  was  removed  bodily  to  State 
street.  The  stock  was  bought  by  J.  M.  Ephlin 
and  A.  M.  Woody,  and  was  the  foundation  of 
the  large  Woody  &  Russell  grocery  store.  Dr. 
Wright  built  a  store  and  dwelling  combined  on 
the  southwest  corner  of  Main  street  and  Cen- 
tral avenue,  where  he  had  sole  control  of  the 
drug  business  until  1865.  He  finally  went  to 
California,  being  succeede<l  in  his  business  by 
Dr.  |.  A.  Field,  who  occupied  the  old  stand 
tor   a    while,    and    afterward    removed    to    his 


brick  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Parke  and  Sale 
streets,  which  he  built  in  1882.  H.  C.  Niles, 
w  ho  had  been  bred  to  the  drug  trade,  opened  a 
new  drug  store,  in  1865  at  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Avenue  and  Main  streets  in  company 
with  E.  C.  Siler.  The  latter  sold  out  to  Niles, 
who  joined  C.  A.  Davis  on  the  north  side  of 
Sale  street,  in  a  building  which  was  destroyed 
in  one  of  the  great  fires,  which  occurred  in 
October,  1881.  The  house  stood  the  second 
door  directly  west  of  Goff's  marble  works, 
which  is  the  first  establishment  ui  the  kind  per- 
manently located  at  this  city.  Mr.  R.  Gruelle 
was  in  the  drug  business  for  a  few  years ;  also 
E.  L.  Smith,  who  sold  out  to  Benton,  and  he  to 
Foster,  who  is  yet  in  the  business.  E.  L. 
Smith,  after  lea\ing  the  drug  business,  began 
the  practice  of  law,  and  in  1878  he  committed 
suicide  by  cutting  his  throat  in  his  office,  up 
stairs  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Parke  and  Sale 
streets.  The  real  causes  of  his  self  "taking 
off"  were  never  known,  l)Ut  were  supposed  to 
be  business  troubles  and  bodily  disease. 

William  H.  Russell  and  A.  M.  Woody  in- 
stituted, in  1859,  the  first  permanent  grocery 
house  in  the  place,  succeeding  J.  M.  Iqjhlin, 
beginning  with  scant  means,  on  the  north  side 
of  Sale  street.  The  house  was  long  and  favor- 
ably known  as  "Woody  &  Russell,"  and  the 
])artnership  remained  undisturbed  until  Xo- 
vember,  1874,  a  period  of  fifteen  years,  when  it 
was  dissohed  Ijy  nuitual  consent  and  mutual 
good  will.  Mr.  Russell  tlied  in  June,  1876; 
he  was  hum  North  Carolina,  whence  he  re- 
mo\etl  to  Indiana,  arri\ing  at  Tuscola  in  1859. 
\\  ith  the  exception  of  serving  as  school  director 
and  a  term  or  two  in  the  city  council,  Russell 
had  not  been  in  public  office.     The  impress  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  99 


liis  cliaracler  ii])cin  tlie  old  .-md  new  institutions  sold  to  Lodge  &  Mintnrn.  who  ke])t  store  for 

of  the  city  is  permanently  i^ood,  and  will  not  he  a  wiiiie  in  the  stand  nuw  (n\-n])ied  hy  tlie  Evans 

quickly  forgotten.  grocery.       Mr.     Helton's     insur;nice    business 

S.  (1.  Bassett,  hacked  In'  .\lonzr)  Lyons,  increased  rapidly,  and  he  hccame.  perhaps,  tlie 
hegan  business  on  the  north  side  of  Sale  street  leading  insurance  man  in  the  central  p.art  of 
at  the  railroad  in  1859,  and  ahout  these  days  the  state,  representing  a  large  number  of  com- 
Elijah  McCarty  built  (piite  a  large  two-story  ixanies,  and  well  posted  in  all  that  ])ertains  to 
warehouse  on  the  south  side  of  the  same  street,  this  branch  of  the  Inisiness.  He  helped  to  run 
also  at  the  railroad.  The  former  building  is  the  first  brass  band,  like  the  others  for  amuse- 
long  since  gone;  tlie  other  remains  as  part  of  ment  onl_\-,  and  was  a  cornet  player  of  some 
the  large  elevator  of  R.  &.  J.  Ervin.     The  post  distinction. 

office  was  here  then,  with  W.  T.  French  as  hicorponition. — October  11,  1859,  an  elec- 
postmaster.  McCarty  in  those  days  was  one  tion  by  the  citizens  was  held  for  and  against 
of  the  largest  farm  operators,  handling  about  incorpor;ition.  The  names  of  all  the  voters 
four  thousand  acres  of  railroad  land  for  ;i  were;  William  Chandler,  1.  J.  Il.alstea<l,  Mich- 
wealthy  tirm  in  Kentucky.  He  w;is  large-  ael  Xoel,  .\.  L.  Otis,  ]".  !•".  .Xesbil,  I'.  Xoel, 
hearted.  liber;d  and  profuse,  and  coutrollet!  a  .\.  J.  (inrman,  James  II.  1  l.arrison,  j.ames 
great  aninunt  of  nionev  for  ye;u's.  The  i)ar-  ]);i\is,  A.  (I.  Wallace,  Juhn  Ch;uiillei',  ,\.  \'an 
ties,  h(i\\e\er,  dis|)osed  of  the  bands,  ;md  iMc-  Dereu,  Thomas  WddiK-  and  Joseph  (1.  ('.annim. 
Carty.  after  becoming  in\iil\ed,  went  to  St.  The  \'ole  for  incor])or;ition  stood  twebe; 
Louis,  and  died  much  reduceil  in  fin.ancial  ag.tinst,  (wo;  total  fomleen.  .Mr.  Harrison 
strength.  He  was  once  a  candidate  lor  con-  u.as  a  pi'oininent  slo\e  and  hardw.are  m:in, 
gress  in  this  <listrict.  ilrst  on  Centr.al  a\enue,  in  the  store  now   occu- 

i\.  (1.  \\';dl;ice  started  the  first  regnl.ar  pied  bv  Tx'ler  in  the  s.anie  business;  afterw.ard 
real  estate  otVice,  after  leaving  the  circuit  clerk's  in  ;i  t\\ii-stor\-  building  which  stood  on  the 
])osition.  Others  h.ad  been  i)rominent  in  the  ])resent  site  of  l^c's  shoe  store.  This  build- 
line  in  connection  with  their  cui'rent  business.  ing  was  remo\-ed  to  the  north  side  of  the 
.Mr.  Wallace  w.as  succeeded  by  1'.  ('.  .Sloan,  a\enne,  to  a  ])l;ice  direclh'  e.ast  ol  the  present 
also  a  former  clerk'  and  reeordt'r,  ni  which  he  (  )pei','i  block,  ,'iiid  "wi'iit  np"  in  the  great  lii'e 
was  joined  by  .\.  .\.  iMcKee,  but  they  are  n(  isv  of  iXj^^.  .Mi'.  Il.-iirison  was  a  leading  cili/eii, 
dissolved   in   business.  h.-id    much   to   do    with    the   mstilutions   (d    the 

The  insui'.'ince  business  w.'is  not  taken  up  as  |il.'ice,  ami  later  w;is  president  of  the   .\';ition,'d 

a  regular  occupation   until    i,Sr)5(i(i,   wlu'ii    W'.  I'.'uik   .'it    l'";Lrnier   Cit\'.      J.nnes    l);i\is    was   of 

1'.    Cannon,    who    locally    ri'prescnted    .'i    I'lrge  the  linn  of  |),'i\is  iS.-   binnev.  gr.'iin  dealers,  and 

numl)er  of  comi)anies  in  connection  with  other  ser\ed   as   m;i\'or  of  the  cit\'.      John   Ch,'uidler 

Inisiness,  Sold  out  to  .\.  I'.  1  Icltoii,  who  arrived  has  a   brgi'   f;n'ni   e.'isl   of   town,   was   the   first 

from     liloomington,     Indian.'i.    in     iSdj.       .Mr.  ioiint\    clerk.    ;nid    li;id    ,'ni    .•LCti\e    ;mil    nselnl 

Helton  kept  a  l.'irge  b.'U'dw. 'ire  store  on  the  south  p;u''  m  ihe  format  ion  of  the  lu'wcounty.     iMaj. 

side  of  the  avenue  for  a  nninlna'  of  vears,  .'md  \','m  I  )eren  is  \v\  a  resident  .iiid  ;i  f;irmer.     Mr. 


lOO  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 

Cannon  removed  to  Danville.     Of  the  others,  Sluss,   city   clerk   and   attorney.      August    15, 

Messrs.    Halstead,    Noels,    Otis    and    Nesbft  1870,  the  city  attorney  was  ordered  to  dismiss 

rer,io\e<l    ;   W  ilhani  Chandler,  a  carpenter  and  the   suit   of   the   city   against    Niles   &    Dryer, 

builder,   died   here,   as  also   Mr.    Wallace  and  druggists,   defendants  paying  attorneys'   fees. 

Thomas  Woody.  This   was   a   suit    for  not   reporting   .sales   of 

Cit\<   Charter. — The   city   charter    is   dated  liquors  for  the  past  two  months,  the  ordinance 

March    it,   1859.     The  lirst  mayor  was  James  requiring  such  report,  which  was  to  contain  the 

H.   MartJi,  with  a  council  consisting  of  I.  L.  name  of  the  purchaser,  ciuantity  sold  and  pur- 

Jortlan,  R,  Price,  M.  Pugh  and  \X.  Taggart.  jjose  used  for.    The  firm  was  not  prosecuted  for 

Mr.  Jorda'i.  formerly  a  farmer  in  Garrett  town-  selling  liquor,  but  for  not  reporting  sales.     At 

ship,  w;'<  sheriff  of  the  county.     Price,  though  this  meeting,  J.  C.  Walker  moved  the  remission 

a  large  land  owner  in  the  count}',  is  now  a  non-  of  the  fine,  which  was  promptly  seconded  bv 

rc^ident.     Pugh,  a  wagon-maker,  has  latelv  re-  James  Da\is,  and  the  resolution  was  carried, 

moved,  and  Col.  Taggart,  after  honorable  serv-  In  1865  the  board  was  in  session,  contemplat- 

ice  in  the  war  of  1861,  and  serving  two  terms  ing    serious    restrictions    upon    the    druggist 

as    sheriff      remains     a      citizen,     luider      the  liquor  sales,  and  stirring  s])eeches  were  made 

firm  name  of  Taggart  &  Williams,  in  the  fur-  pro  an<l  con.  the  last  of  which  was  made  by  a 

nitiu'e  business.     In  the  war  record  in  this  \ol-  druggist,  who  ])roduced  as  his  tinal  argument 

nme  will  be  found  a  more  particular  notice  of  a  large  bottle  of  old  London  Dock  Gin,  which, 

tliDse  who  served  as  soldiers.     Mr.  James  H.  after  placing  on  the  table  uinler  the  noses  of 

AlcU'tm  resigned  the  mayoraltv  in   June,   1870,  the  board,  he  gracefully  retired,  amid  hnul  and 

partly  liecause  of  ill  health,  and  p.artly  because  contiiuied  ai)|)lanse.     The  ])rop(.)setl   resolution 

of  ineligibility;  he  li\'ed  outside  the  corpora-  was  also  laid  on  the  table. 

tif)n,  owning  land   just   beyond   the  northeast  Hatr/.w — The  first  boartling  house  or  hotel 

corner  of  the  town.     With  a  view  of  correcting  was   kept   by   .\.    G.    W'allace.      This   building 

the  matter,  he  had  a  small  .additinn  [n  the  city  was  a  large  '■story-and-a-half"  house,  situateil 

matle  and  reconled,  which  was  situ.ited  in  the  just  about  where  the  bank  now  stands  on  the 

soutliwest  corner  of  section  twenty-six,  town-  A\-enue.     Mr.     Wallace    had    arrived    in    the 

ship  Id.  range  eight,  but  no  lots  were  sold,  and  county  in   1S41,  and  sto]iped  at  a  place,  then 

it  was  linally  (lrci])pe(!.     .\lr.   .Martin  was  from  widely  known  as  the  "W.allace  stand,"  west  of 

Incli.an;!,  resided  in  Tuscola  fcir  ;ib(int  six  years  iiickurv  Grove,   in   the   southeast   part   of  tlT^ 

in  the  practice  of  the  law.     lie  died  Nosember  county.      He   removed    to    Camargo    in    1854, 

15,    1871,   and   was   buried   at   Caiuargo,   with  and  in  1856  to  Tuscola,  where  he  kejjt  hotel  as 

iM;iS(inic  hduors.  Tibove   for  alxnit   two  years.      He. was   deeply 

Tnsc(il;i    is   doubtless   the   first    city   in   the  interested   in  and   was  one  ><{  the  most  active 

state  organized  under  the  general  incorporation  workers  for  the  foundation  of  the  new  county, 

act,  which  tof)k  effect  July  i.  1872.     In   1870  He  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace  elected  in 

Thomas  .S.  Sluss  presided  as  mayor ;  alderman  Tuscola,    1858.   and   in    1859  was  elected   the 

present.  J.  C.  Walker  and  James  Dilly;  A.  H.  first  circuit  clerk  .and  recorder.     He  was  con- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  loi 


tiiiuonsly  re-elected   until   he  had   served    four  hnards  and  was  the  "fair  ,t;r(iund"  nf  the  hrsr 

cimsecutive  terms  of   four  years  each.      Upon  Dout^Ias  county  fair.    The  old  court  house  was 

retirins;-  from  tlie  office,  he  conchicted  for  sev-  used  for  a  "'lloral  hall,"  as  it  were,  and  ;i  hand 

era!  years  a  real  estate  and  loan  office,  and  was  and  speakers' stand  had  heeu  erected  in  theuorth 

always  an  active  and   leadin.i;-  memher  of  the  side  of  the  s(|uare.     K.  McCartv.  Caleh  ( larrctt 

Methodist     Epi.scopal     church.      Mr.     Wallace  ,ind   Ira  j.    1  lalslead,  secretarv,  were  the  m;in- 

tlied  on  the  Jjth  of  July,  1879.  agers.     The  first  dance  was  held  in   the  room 

The  Beach  House  began  an  existence  as  a  over  ni>rthcast  corner  of  I'arkeand  .S.ilc  streets, 

boarding    lH)Use    on    the    southeast    corner    of  where  .Mrs.  John  Mailison  danced  the  fust  si-t 

Ensey  and  Parke  streets.    It  was  then  under  the  with  Joseph  G.  Cannon,     'fhis  old  court  house 

contluct  of   Henry   Beach.      He  huilt   the  first  was,  on  its  completion,  hailed  with   joy  hy  all 

Beach  House  on  the  site  of  the  present  hotel  of  who  believed  in  wholesale  .sociahilitv.     Parties, 

the  same  name.     Some  time  after  his  death,  balls  and  dances  were  frequent  and  enjoyable, 

the  first  hotel  was  burne(.l  to  the  ground,  about  The  first  was  the  celebration  of  the  finishing  of 

1869,  and  rebuilt  by  Mrs.  Beach  in   1870.  She  the  building  liy  a   well-attended   dance.      This 

was  succeeded   by  her  son-in-law.   W.    Kissel,  was  in    iSOr. 

who  is  just  completing  a  \ery  fine  and  com-  The  first  session  of  circuit  court   was  held 

modious  brick  hotel.  in   the   fall  of    ]><y).   in   the  then    just   linished 

The  Hotel  Douglas  which  wasopenetl  to  the  depot  building  of  the  1.  ( '.  1\.  K..  and  the  \ery 

traveling  public  .\pril   K),   \H<)I).  is  by  odds  the  first   civil   case  on    the  docket    was    Bnllou   \s. 

best  all  arounil  eipii])ped  hotel  in  1  >ouglas  conn-  Johnson,:  default  of  defend.inl  ,in<I    indgmcnt 

ty,  and  in  l)y  far  tlie  best  location.     The  ])eo|)le  t'or  $3._'o.     This  was  an  .ipitcd  from  Dr.   |.  T. 

of  Tuscola  and  Douglas  county  owe  a  debt  of  Johnson,  ;i  magislr.ale  in  the  \illage  of   I'.our- 

gratitude  as  well  as  best  wishes  and  their  pat-  hon.      Dr.  Johnson   w;is  a   well-known  pr.ictic- 

ron;ige  to   Mr.   and    Mrs.   John    Whitlaker    for  ing  ])hysician  ;uid  "Si|iiiic"  in  the  west  end,  ;it 

constructing  this  po])ular  inn,  foi-  it  is  reason-  the  lime  of  the   formation  of  the  new  count\-, 

ably  .sate  to  say  had  they  not  built   it   'fuscoki  and  .along  about   1803  u(,-nt  west.    Circnil  court 

would  be  without   a  decent   hotel   today.  was  ne.\t  held  in  the  second  storv  of  the  btuld- 

The  lirst   hotel   was  built  on   the  northeast  ing  now  occupied  b\-  (  leorgc  Smith,  the  same 

corner  of   Main  and    Ibmghton  streets,  by  the  i)lace  where  J.  M.   Maris  pre\iousl\'  held   forth 

Town  company.     .\  large  two-story   fr.une,  it  as   ;i   grocer,      'fhis   was   the   largest    a\ail;ible 

was  tor  a  few  years  the  only  hotel  and  in  court  room  in  the  place  at  that  time,  and  was  useil  I'or 

sea.son  a   lively  place.      It   was  constructed   by  all    ])nblic    meetings    until    Ihc    so-called    court 

M.  C.   I'llkin,  who  was  an  old   resident,      'fhis  house  w;is  built   in    1801.      At    this  time  A.   (  i. 

hotel   was  Ininicd   in    1804.  ,-uid   icbnill   by   the  Wall.ice,  the  circuit  clerk,  had  his  office  in  the 

insurance   company.       It    was    then    called    the  same   bmlding  on   S.ale  sired,  and   the  county 

"Tuscola    House."  clerk  occupied  a  room  in   the  'fuscola    House, 

Otiicr    early    ci'cnts. — The    pre.seiU    coiui  the  two  story  hotel   in    I  longhloii  street,  here- 

liouse  square  had  Ijeen  fenceil  in  with  common  tofore  mentionetl. 


I02  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 

'I"hc  first  school  house  erected  in  Tuscola  1862;  dour  mill.  1863:  ucwspaper.  1858;  first 
was  a  oue-story  frame,  which  cost  five  humireil  hank,  t8():;:  first  court  house.  1861.  The 
dollars,  aud  was  huilt  in  1858.  Amongst  the  names  of  the  first  \illage  Ixard  were:  L.  J. 
first  schcKil  teachers,  if  not  the  first,  was  Ira  J.  Wyelli.  W.  T.  French.  James  Da\is,  F.  F. 
Halstead.  This  was  succeeded  hy  a  \ery  suh-  Xeshit.  M.  \'aul,  clerk;  also  date  of  charter, 
stantial  two-story  hrick  schoolhouse  at  a  cost  first  election  under  charter  July  i,  1859.  J. 
of  six  thousand  clolla'rs,  erected  on  the  site  of  H.  Martin,  mayor;  council.  W.  Tagg'art.  M. 
the  |)resent  imposins^  seminary,  which  is  lilock  I'ii,i;h,  E.  Price  and  J.  Williamson. 
Xo.  _^,  ill  Kell\''s  addition  to  Tuscola.  This  was  The  sclmol  huilding  is  a  suhstantial  l)rick, 
;i  ])la.n  1  rick  Inhlding,  erected  imder  contract  of  three  stories  and  l)asement,  a  helfry  contain- 
In'  John  X.  Miller.  He  owned  and  occupic!  ing  a  large  town  clock,  which  is  a  most  excel- 
the  old  one-story  schoolhouse  after  the  new  one  lent  time  keeper,  and  has  four  dials,  facing 
was  huilt.  He  was  a  queer  old  fellow,  honest  respectively  the  four  cardinal  points.  The 
and  reliahle.  hut  a  little  sour,  and  he  always  schini]  huilding  has  amjjle  accommodations  for 
"wanted  to  know,  you  know,"  what  we  thought  ahout  five  lumdred  pupils,  is  in  every  possible 
of  a  preacher  who  would  "call  a  man  a  liar?"  respect  a  perfect  edifice,  and  is.  as  it  should  be. 
and  we  could  only  answer,  that  it  depended  on  the  pride  of  Tuscola.  The  contract  price  was 
whether  the  i)reacher  told  the  truth  or  not.  originallv  thirt\--two  thousand  dollars,  hut  the 
The  materials  for  this  two-story  seminary  amount  was  subsequent! v  increased,  so  that  the 
were  purchased  b)-  the  contractor  when  the  entire  cost,  when  completed,  became  about 
present  fine  building  was  erected  on  the  same  forty  thousand  dollars.  The  building  is  heated 
site.  The  contractor  and  builder  of  the  new  l)v  an  excellent  system  of  basement  furnaces, 
and  last  building  was  L.  Johnson;  he  married  and  the  board  employ  an  efTicient  janitor  at  a 
here  a  daughter  of  Ross,  a  carpenter  and  build-  fixed  salary.  The  original  lot.  Block  3,  in 
er.  Johnson  was  a  man  of  notal)le  integrity  Kelly's  addition,  contained  aljout  one  acre  of 
and  honor  in  his  contracts,  antl  built  and  fin-  land;  to  this  has  been  added,  in  the  last  few 
ished  the  structure  in  the  face  of  failure  as  to  years,  a  strip  sixty  feet  in  width  on  the  east 
profit.  side,   which   is   Indiana  street  extended.      The 

A  corner  stone  was  laid  on  the  26th  of  board  also  bought  the  block  next  north,  block 

June,  1870,  by  the  Masons  and  Odd  Felk)ws,  4.   same  additit)n,   and   was  presented  by  the 

with   the   usual   interesting  ceremonies.      The  citv  with  that  part  of  Wilson  street  extended 

northeast  corner  stone  contains  the  organiza-  which  lies  between  said  l)l(.)cks  3  and  4.  which 

tion  of  Coles  county;  the  partition  of  Douglas  also  loaned  them  fifty  feet  of  a  street  north  of 

county,  1859;  survey  of  original  town  of  Tus-  block  4. 

cola,  1857;  accounts  of  the  first  dwelling;  1857;  The   first    bank   was   instituted   by   W_\eth, 

first   st(.)re.    1857;   and   first,   second   and   thiril  Cannon  &  Co..  and  was  in  a  frame  building, 

bricks  built,   1863,  etc.;  first  child  born,   1857;  which    stood   at   the   west   end   of   the   present 

burning  of  first   hotel,   and   incidents;   Illinois  Ojiera    block.      This   bank   was   afterward,    in 

Central    railroad;    schoolhouses ;   first   church,  18O5,  merged  into  the  First  National  Bank  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL.  103 


Tuscola.     Tlie  firm  also  had  for  a  while  bank-  No.    5.   in    Kelly's  addition,   at   the   southeast 

ing  interests  in  Areola.     In  1870,  Mr.  Wyeth  corner   of  Sale   street   and    Niles  avenue.      It 

was  merchandising-  here  among  the  first  as  a  was  built  through  the  exertions  of  Mr.  Thomas 

member  of  the  firm  1  if  Wyeth.  Cradclock  &  Co.,  Woody,    .\.    G.    Wallace,    O.    C.    Hackett   and 

occu|>ying  the  two-story  frame  directly  east  of  (it hers.     It  was  a  neat  guthic  brick  abnul  tdrty 

the  drug  store,  now  at  the  .southeast  corner  of  feet  by  one  hundred,  with  a  graceful  spire  one 

Sale  and  Parke  streets.     The  building  was  re-  hundred  and  ten  feet  high,  and  a  belfrv  with  a 

iiioved    to   the   north   side  of  the  avenue   to  .1  standard    bell-metal    bell    of   a    weight    of    six 

point  east  of  Opera   bl(~ick.   and   Imrnt    in    the  hundred      [xnnids.        It     alwavs     commanded 

great   fire  of    1873.      The   first   cashier  of   the  the  largest  congregations,  and   the\-,  being  of 

bank    was    W.    P.    Cannon,    who    married    a  the  superior  class  of  citizens  as  t(i  intelligence 

daughter  of  William  Warmsley    an  uUl  resi-  and  standing,  have  always  been  able  to  com- 

dent.  niand  the  best  average  talent  of  the  conference. 

Whilst    the    Commercial    Block    and    haul:  In    i8(;5   the   Methodists  erected   their  ])resent 

were  burning,  W.   P.  Camion  contracted   with  church  eilifice  which  is  the  finest  church  bnild- 

Coleman   Piright   for   the   sectMid   storv   of   his  ing  in  the  county. 

brick  building  on  the  .south  side  of  the  axenue.  The   I'resbyterian  church,   situated   on   lots 

an<l  removed  to  that  location.     The  bank  had  i  and  j,  block  32,  in  the  original  town,  soiUh- 

a  capital  of  $113,000,  and  a  sur]>lus  of  $-'5,-  west  corner  of  Wilson  and   Main   streets.      A 

000.     Mr.  II.  T.  Carraway,  president:   W.   II.  ]\lr.   Carnes  was  the  builder.     The  leaders  in 

Lamb,    cashier:    ,\.    W.    Wallace,    teller    and  the    church    were    Mr.     William     li.      L.imb. 

bookkeeper  at  that  time.    The  Douglas  comity  Judge  Ammcn,  John  J.  Jones  and  others,  with 

bank  was  established  Se]>tember,   1X70.  W.   11.  their   fannlies.     This  church  is  second  onlv  to 

Lamb,  cashier,  on  Sale  street:  and  another  on  the  Methodist  in  point  of  numbers.     The  first 

the  avemie  by  Cham])aign  ])arties;  both,  how-  [lastor   was    George    D.    Miller,    who   eame   to 

e\er.  were  merged  into  other  banks.    The  pres-  Tuscola  in   .\ugnst,    1860,  and   was  in   charge 

ent  banks  are:  The  Fist  National  liank.  .\.  W.  up  to   1804,  when  he  resigned   from  ill   licilth. 

Wallace,  president,  and  F.  W.  Hammett.  cash-  The  Baptist  church  is  the  largest  in  the  city 

ier.     This  is  one  of  the  best,  most  substantiai  with  regard  to  seating  capacity:  in  actual  mem- 

and    up-to-date    banking    houses    in    the    state.  bership  it   is  the  smallest.      It   was  erected   in 

r.aughman,   Bragg  &  Co.  is  the  other  banking  i8()5,   mainly  throught   the  exertions  and  ex- 

'"•'n-  anii)le  of  I'Llijah  McCarty  and  Dr.  1.  N.  Ryner- 

The  opera  house  of  Tuscola,  owned  by  the  s<in.      Dr.    Kynerson   was  a  leading   l.irmer  in 

Marry  Madi.son  estate,  is  a  very  creditable  af-  the  northeast  corner  of  Areola  townshi]).      He 

lair.     It  has  a  .seating  ca])acity  of  about  seen  was  highly  educated  an<l  one  of  the  best  stump 

hundred  and  a  very  well  sceneried  stage,  with  s]ieakers  of   his   dav,   and    was  also   a    former 

mirrors  on  either  side,  and  is  very  ornate.  i)racticing  physician:  be  died  in  .\pril,   1873. 

C  Inirchi's. — The  Methodist,  a  brick  church.  This  church  is  a  substaiUial  brick  building 

was  finished  in  i860,  and  is  situated  on  Block  about  forty  by  eighty  feet,  and  when  built  had 


I04 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


a  very  large  brick  tower  aljout  ninety  feet  liigli, 
w  liicli  had.  tln-oug-h  tlie  mistake  of  the  hnilder. 
Iteen  run  up  nearly  S(|uare;  it  \\;is  hea\y  and 
unj^ainly.  and  tupped  dft  with  fimr  curner 
spires  or  ornaments  painted  white.  This  was 
the  niostconspicufius  nhject  in  tlie  city,  and  was 
the  landmark  in  the  country  for  miles  ardund. 
The  iutentiim  had  heen  tn  make  a  nnich  li,<;hter 
tower.  Till)  much  weight  was  ])nl  upun  it  for 
its  foundation,  and  it  began  to  show  cracks  in 
the  masonry  and  settled.  It  was  then  rumored 
unsafe,  people  getting  the  idea  it  would  fall 
of  its  own  weight,  and  some  avoided  the  church. 
It  was  then  formally  examined  by  expert  buikl- 
ers.  and  !)eing  pronounced  good  confidence 
was  somewhat  restored.  Nevertheless,  the 
tower  was  iinally  taken  down  e\en  with  the 
roof.  The  congregation  being  quite  small, 
regular  pastors  have  not  always  been  in  charge, 
though  this  church  has  commanded  some  of 
the  best  talent  the  church  afforded.  The  Intild- 
ing  is  situated  at  the  nurtheast  corner  of  Daggy 
aiid   Court  streets. 

The  Christian  church  is  situated  on  the 
north  side  of  Houghton  street,  east  of  Court 
street,  lot  13,  block  40,  original  town,  is  a 
good  frame  building,  the  second  story  being 
the  auditorium,  with  lirst  story  reserved  for 
Snndav  school  and  bai)tistry.  It  was  erected 
in  i8()(S.  mainly  through  the  exertions  of  Mr. 
John  Chandler,  the  lirst  county  clerk.  The 
present  Christian  chtn'ch  of  Tu>cola  is  a  line 
brick  structure  and  is  ne.xt  to  the  Methodist 
church  in  cost. 

The  Roman  Catholic  church  of  the  Forty 
Martyrs  is  a  fr;une  building  situ.ated  on  the 
southeast  corner  of  \'an  Allen  antl  Center 
streets.  It  was  erected  in  the  summer  of  188.^, 
at  a  cost  of  ,$1,000. 


The  Episcopal  cliurch  was  erected  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  Center  and  Houghton 
Houghton  streets  in  i88_':  was  consecrated  in 
July  of  that  year,  1)\'  Right  Rexerend  .Sexanour, 
Bisho])  of  Springfield,  assisted  by  several  cler- 
gymen from  the  surrounding  cities.  The 
church  was  built  through  the  exertions  of  the 
Re\'.  Mr.  F'eck,  then  in  charge  of  the  mission, 
and  is  known  as  St.  Stephen's.  Regular  ser- 
\-ices  were  held  for  about  one  year,  l)Ut  the 
remo\'al  of  families  most  interested  has  so  re- 
duced numbers  that  the  services  are  rare. 

The  I'ree  Methodists  also  have  a  church 
building.     (See  sketch  of  David  Cooper.) 

Sunday  Schools. — The  first  Sunday  school 
in  Tuscola  was  instituted  by  Mrs.  Archibald 
\'an  Deren  and  others  at  the  old  Tuscola 
House,  the  erstwhile  hotel.  The  first  Sundav 
school  was  convened  on  the  second  Sabbath  of 
September,  in  the  year  1859.  It  was  started, 
at  the  instance  of  JNIrs.  \'an  Deren.  her  coad- 
lutors.  among  others,  being  Thomas  W'liodv 
and  his  excellent  daughters,  Mesdames  Town- 
sell  and  Lindsay,  who  were  the  first  scholars, 
and  who  ha\e  jiassed  away.  Dr.  J.  L.  Reat, 
\\ith  us.  Dr.  Samuel  Daggy  and  Mrs.  Van 
Deren  are  the  only  survivors.  Dr.  Reat  is 
mentioned  elsewhere.  Dr.  Daggy,  a  prom- 
itient  Presltyterian,  was  an  acknowledged  lead- 
er in  religion  and  indeed  in  all  other  mat- 
ters Ijcaring  upon  the  general  elex'ation  of 
]iublic  sentiment  from  the  beginning  of  Tus- 
cola. .\fter  a  twenty  years'  useful  residence 
here.  he.  with  his  family,  moved  to  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  is  engaged  in  real  estate  busi- 
ness. 

Here  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  record 
th.at  the  \arious  chnrclies  of  Tuscola  have  been 
remarkable  for  a  cordial  co-operation  in  relig- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  105 

iiuis    matters,    juint    nieeting.>^    and    exchange  tin,"  the  assistant  engineer  nf  Dan\-ille.  Tus- 

(if  pnlpits  being  the  l're(|uent  lea<hng  featnres  cula    iK-    \\'estern    r.'iilrnaiK    and    while   a    little 

that  go  far  toward  clipping  the  wings  of  those  "captions'"  in  the  \  it'w  of  the  xonnger  l)o\s  on 

smart  fellows,  who.  claiming  the  dillerence  nf  the  work',  mei'ited   and   received  on   the   wlmle 

cr-eed  as  a  snflicient  excuse,  wnuld  lly  to  glory  the  hest  respect  ol   his  associates, 

nnincumhered  hv  a  church.  The  1  )ouglas  County  Ke\iew  was  iustituteil 

The  Press. — f^nr   lii'si   news])aper   was   the  in    iN;r5  hy  l'on\erse  >!v;   Parks,  and  was  1  )eni- 

Tuscola    Press.      Il    was   startc<l    in    iS3().      It  ocralic.      it   was   hrst   issued   in    the   two-stor\" 

was  short  lived,  and  the  prdpriclur  left  between  wouden    building    which    now    stands    direclK- 

two   davs.      .M.    \  anl    cunducted    il    a   year   or  east  nf  tlie  j.   M.  .Suiilh  building,  nu  the  snuth 

two,  l)ut  it  was  nni  a  success.      Mr.   \'aul  was  side  df  C'entral  a\enue.       The    Review  passed 

the  tirst  city  clerk.     The  Sellers  buys  instituted  intn  the  hands  of  Maj.  .Asa  Miller  in  December, 

the  Douglas  County  Shield,  fn  mi  1S05  to  li^hj.  1S77.     (.See  sketch  of  Charles  W.  Wilsou,  the 

.\  little  felliiw  named  (lregor\-  establi>he<l  the  present   pr(  iinaeti  ir  of  the   Rexicw.) 

Cnion,   which    was  nut   a   success.       The  news-  The    TuscKla    Republican,   ikjw   nwued   and 

l)a])er  business  did  nut  seem  to  be  solid  until  c'dited  b_\-   I'reil   L.    Peat,  is  rapiill}'  cinniiig  tn 

the  jiresent    hmrnal  and    1  )ougI,is  C'cunty   Re-  the   front  as  a  newsv.  clean  and   well   printed 

\iew    were  established.      I'he  Jnurual  was  llrst  paper.      It  has  ;i  paid  circulation  of  about  oue 

instituted  by  Siler  iv    Pindsay  in    iSf)4.     They  ihdusaud. 

were    succeeded    1i\     Williams    in     iSjf),    with  Ccnti-niiiiil  His/i>r\. — The  Congress  ni  the 

llarrv   Johnson    ;is    paragi'aphist    and    general  Cnited  .States,   March    ij;,   iSjd,  passed  a  res- 

outside   manager,    and    by    Ceorge   Classco    in  ulntidu   recummending  that   the  |)eople  ol    the 

jamiary,    tSSi.      .\fterwai'd    by    "Tom"    W  il-  sev'eral   states  assemble  in   their  several   towns 

liams  and  a  Mr.  (Ikisscd.     It  is  nnw  dwued  an<l  nn  the  "centennial  anniversary"  of  our  national 

conducted    by    A.    C.    .Slu.ss,    the   present    post  indepe  ■(lence,  and  h  i\e  read  a  historical  .ketch 

master  of  Tuscola.      (  .See  sketch.  )  of   said    countv   or   town    from    its    form.ation, 

Wdli.ams  was  an  oil!  Tuscola  bo\-  who  m;is-  ,  ;md  ih.'.t  a  copw  (if  said  sketch  be  filed  ;ii  llv 
lercil  the  printing  business  .and  became  a  ol'fice  of  the  Pibrarian  of  Congress,  as  well  as 
"jour,"  worlsing  in  wirious  ]il;iccs,  and  when  in  the  clerk's  office  of  s.aid  county, 
in  Connecticut  met  and  married  a  ladv  iiriiiter.  .\pril  Js,  iSj(),  this  is  followed  b\-  the  pi'iie- 
1  le  returned  to  Tuscoka  m  iSj-o,  and  in  cou-  lamatiou  of  jojiu  I,.  l',e\eridge,  the  governor  of 
nection  with  C"a]it.  Parks,  of  the  Review,  did  the  st.ale  of  Illinois,  to  the  same  effect,  urging 
the  typographical  work  ol  the  ccnlcnni.al  his-  a  general  observ.ince  of  the  recommendation, 
tory  ol  Dougl.is  county,  the  only  ])rinfed  book  In  .Maw  \Hj(>.  at  a  special  term  of  the  board 
ever  issued  in  the  county.  Tom  died  suddeiilv  of  supervis<irs,  not,  however.  S|)eci,ally  held 
while  in  the  prime  of  his  usefulness  and  man-  for  the  purpose,  ihe  following  resolution  was 
hood,  at  about  lliirtv  ve.ars  of  age,  on  the  _'i;th  adopted,  which  had  \>cvn  offered  hv  the  super- 
day  of  Jul}-,  iSSi.  lie  was  ,a  man  of  wit  and  \isor  from  (iarrett,  .Mr.  William  Howe; 
humor;  was  for  a  time  the  assistant  of  "Mar-  Rcsuk'cd,  That  Henry  C.  Niles  be  employ- 


io6 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


ed  to  prepare  a  statistical  and  biographical 
history  of  Douglas  county,  from  its  origin  to 
the  present  time,  and  to  ha\e  the  same  ready 
hy  the  4th  of  July  next,  provided  the  said  work 
shall  not  cost  to  exceed  one  hundred  dollars. 

This  work  was  prepared  in  manuscript, 
read  to  the  hoard  of  sui)ervisors  and  approved; 
an  attempt  to  ha\e  it  ])rinted  at  the  expense 
of  the  county  failed,  and  the  author,  assisted 
by  D.  O.  Root,  the  then  county  clerk,  had  it 
printed  in  pamphlet  form,  to  save  the  matter, 
being  eighty  pages  octavo,  in  paper  co\ers. 
This  history  contained,  in  a  perhaps  too  much 
condensed  style,  a  history  of  the  main  facts 
pertaining  to  the  county,  with  separate  histories 
of  townships,  and  was  not  much  elal)orated,  the 
"fixed  price"  forbidding  a  thorough  detail  of 
the  points  touched  upon.  It  was  dedicated 
"To  the  young  men  of  Douglas  county. 

"In  the  hope  that  they  may  be  reminded  of 
the  responsibility  they  are  about  to  assume  in 
taking  charge  of  the  destinies  of  little  Doug- 
las, may  they  emulate  the  noblest  deeds  of 
their  fathers,  .so  that  the  blessings  which  they 
secured  may  descend  upon  them  to  posterity. 
In  opening  out  the  resources  of  the  country, 
converting  the  rude  land  into  cultivated  tields, 
building  cities  where  none  existed  before,  and 
making  possible  the  civilizing  influences  of 
churches,  schools  and  railroads,  their  fathers 
have  borne  the  brunt  of  the  battle,  and  are  now 
resigning  into  their  hands  the  result  of  their 
labors,  for  they  are  passing  away." 

This  pamphlet  was  ])rinted  at  the  printing 
office  of  the  Illinois  Industri.il  University,  at 
Urbana.  The  contract  was  taken  Ity  Conver.se 
&  Parks,  editors  of  the  Review  of  Tuscola, 
and  the  "setting  up"  done  by  J.  T.  Williams, 
afterward  proprietor  of  the  Tuscola  Journal. 


Mr.  Williams  took  great  pride  in  the  matter, 
and  produced  a  specimen  of  printing  not  sur- 
]iassed  by  anv  pamphlet  work  extant.  A  copy 
of  the  work  was  duly  forwarded  to  the  Illinois 
state  librarian,  the  congressional  library,  at 
Washington,  the  Historical  Society  of  Chicago, 
and  to  various  other  i)oints.  either  \-oluntarily, 
or  on  demand,  and  kindly  acknowledgments 
were  received  in  each  case,  and  in  some  cases 
a  return  was  promptly  made  of  similar  works. 

Photography. — Photography  in  its  advanc- 
ed artistic  e\cellence  was  first  instituted  here 
by  W.  Boyce,  who  is  succeeded  by  his  son 
David  N.  Having  devoted  his  entire  business 
time  to  the  perfection  of  his  work,  making  a 
studv  of  all  the  latest  improvements,  he  shc^ws 
wi^rk  which  is  not  surpassed  by  that  of  the 
artists  in  the  larger  cities.  D.  X.  Boyce  is  not 
only  a  first  class  artist  but  he  is  a  gentleman 
in  nature  and  instinct. 

Illinois  Light,  Water,  Heat  and  Power 
Company,  recently  established  in  Tuscola,  is 
supplied  with  the  very  latest  type  of  machinery 
and  renders  efficient  service.  The  water 
power  plant  operated  in  connection  is  so  com- 
plete, perfect  and  systematically  arranged  that 
the  most  energetic  critic  has  failed  to  criticise. 

Tuscola  Society. — The  moral  and  intellect- 
ual standard  of  the  city  is  far  above  the  aver- 
age, with  plenty  of  room  for  impro\ement.  In 
main  the  citizens  are  a  peaceable,  law  abiding 
and  God  fearing  people.  They  ha\e  good 
churches,  good  schools  and  are  lovers  of  good 
books.  Selfishness  and  bigotry  in  many  in- 
stances are  disguised  here  as  true  religion,  as  it 
is  elsewhere  throughout  the  world,  and  one  of 
the  most  loved  and  commendable  character- 
istic of  the  human  heart,  love  one  another,  is 
is  asleep  in  the  beautiful  little  city  of  Tuscola. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  107 


Its  retired    fanner  contingency  of  its  popula-  imin    1S54  to    1858,  and   npon   him,  as  bein^i: 

tion    is    wonderfullv   tired,   nnprojjressive   and  the  nearest  postmaser.  devolved  tlie  dnty  of  cer- 

in  many  instances  is  jiositive  and  painful  hin-  tifyinj;   the    necessity   i>\    a    new    posloHice    at 

(h-ance   to   its    fiUure   development.      Where   a  ( )ka\v,  w  Inch  had  heen  petitioned  tor  hy  judge 

citizen  with  nionev  refuses  to  assist  in  needed  and  Dr.  I  ienry.  John  r.l;ick\\  ell  and  others.     In 

improvements  cif  the  town,  to  assist  in  caring  due  course,  Col.  Cofer  sent  the  i)apers  to  Wash- 

for  the  \vorth\-  iioor  and  needy  under  his  nose,  ington,  and  they  were  returned,  as  is  usual  in 

he  is  not  onlv  lacking  in  his  religiou,   taught  such  cases,  with  the  inl'ormation  that  there  was 

h\   the  lowlv  Xazarene.  hut  he  is  lacking  in  his  already  in  the  state  of  Illinois  a  postoftice  with 

good  citizenship.     Tuscola  has  nothing  worse  the  same  name  as  tiie  one  proposed.   This  maile 

to  fear  than  to  allow  the  management  of  its  it  necessary  that  a  new  name  should  be  .selected 

])ul)]ic  adnnnistralion  In  fall  into  tlie  hands  of  before  the  office  could,  under  the  law,  be  estab- 

the   unprogressive,   the   dollar   worshipers   ;uid  lished.     Mr.   E.   Hewitt,  the  first  Illinois  Cen- 

the  stingy.     There  are  snme  so  called  wurship-  tral  railroad  agent  at  this  ])iiint.  after  cudgel- 

ers  of  Christ  and   leading  churcii  members  in  ing  his  brains  to  no  effect,  obserying  a  knot  of 

Tuscola  who  shduld   heed   more  the  teachings  citizens    near,    came    out    of    his    oflice    at    the 

of  the    Master   and    jiermit    the   dead,    against  depot,    and    in    the    presence   of   Judge   James 

whnin  they  nnglit  have  had  a  personal  grievance  Kwingand  others  a-ked  for  suggestions,  where- 

uithout  cause,  to  Rest,  Rist,  RrstW.  upon    James    Kearney    said    "Areola."      The 

name   took    instantly,    and    was   adopted.      It 

ARCOL.v    CITY    .\xn    Towxsinf.  api.ears  to  haye. been  .selected  from  its  eui.ho.iy 

rather  than   from  any  allusion  or  reference  to 

The  Niiiiu-. —  I'lcfore    Douglas   county   had  ;i  historical  remini.scencc,  though  one  of  Xapo- 

an  existence,  the  city  of  .\roila.    from   which  Icon's  greatest  battles  was  fotight  and  gained 

the  township  derives  its  name,   was  called  by  oyer  the  .Vustrians  in  Italy  at  a  iilacc  by  that 

the  railroad  com])any  '"(  )kaw,"  after  the  river  name.      Both   of   the  names   terminating  alike 

of  that   name,   which    tr.aver.ses   the   west   jiart  is  food  for  rumination,  but  all  attempts  to  con- 

of    the   county.      "Okaw"    was    a    local    name  nect  the  two  as  some  relation  have  f.ailed.    John 

only,  the  true  name  of  the  river  being  Ka,s-  Blackwell  was  here  ])rominent  in  all  that  per- 

kaskia,  from  the  iM-encb,  and  it  has  been  claimed  tains  to  good  citizenshi]),  and  had  much  to  do 

by  knowing  ones  that  the  word  '"( )kaw"  is  a  with    the    management    of    affairs.      His    resi- 

corrni)tiiin   of    Kaskaskia.    which,    in    the    ver-  dence  dated  from  1857.  He  was  the  tirst  mag- 

nacular.was  "Kawkaw'"(  Indian:  Crow  Ri\er?)  istrate  of  .\rcola.     He  died  in  January.    i8r.(). 

hence,   by  an   easy  transition,   "( )kaw."      Col.  John  lilackwell  was  a  grandson  of  C'ol.  Jacob 

John  Col'er,  who  had  represented  the  county  of  l!l;ick\\cll  df  the  Revolution.     The  Colonel  was 

Coles  in  the  state  Legisl;iture.  was  postmaster  the   owner   of    lllackweirs    Islaml    and    nearly 

to    accommodate    the    neighborb 1    at    Rural  all  the  e;istern  end  of  l.i>ng  Island  adjacent  to 

Retreat  (in  the  southeast  cpiarter  of  section  10,  .\'ew   \'ork.   from  .Astoria  to   Brooklyn.     This 

township  i4north, range  9  east, since  abolished),  tract  includes  Astoria,  Ravenswood,  Long  Is- 


loS 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


land  City.  Creen  Point  and  W'illianislinrs-.  1  [e 
resided  in  llie  did  mansion  on  Webster  axcnuc. 
where  lie  entertained  (ien.  Washington  and  in 
the  g-rounds  atlaehed  thereto  re])ose  the  hones 
of  the  Colonel  and  his  wife.  Col.  Waekwell 
was  prominently  identified  with  the  Revolu- 
tionar\-  partw  and  was  a  meniher  of  the  Con- 
tinental Congress.  His  door,  liranded  with 
the  letter  "R"  (rebel)  because  of  his  opposi- 
tion to  tiie  British  Crown,  is  still  kept  as  a 
iieirloom  by  some  of  his  descendants. 

Areola  Precinct. — At  the  time  of  the  for- 
mation of  Douglas  county,  February,  1859, 
that  portion  of  its  area  now  known  as 
Areola  township  was  called  .\rcola  precinct. 
It  was  bounded  on  the  north  ))}■  Tuscola  town- 
ship, but  now  extends  one  mile  further  north. 
It  contained  a  tier  of  six  sections  on  the  east, 
which  are  now  included  in  Bowdre,  and  it  also 
included  eighteen  sections  of  laud,  all  of  town- 
ship 14  north,  range  7  east,  which  were,  on 
regular  township  organization  in  1868,  handed 
over  to  Bourbon. 

This  was  an  election  precinct,  and  con- 
tained an  area  of  about  seventy-one,  which  was, 
in  1868,  ciU  down  to  fifty-three  and  eight- 
tenths  square  miles,  lieing  exactly,  according 
to  the  government  sur\ey,  34.f)43'.jO  acres. 

Townshi]')  organization  was  voted  for  in 
1867,  and  the  apportionment  made  in  iS;>8, 
Dr  Lucius  McAllister  being  one  nf  the  commis- 
sicjuers  a])poinled  bv  the  county  board  to  make 
the  partition.  Cabin  jmies  was  associate 
county  judge.  The  township  1  3  north,  of  range 
8  east,  the  congressional  tnwiislii])  laying  be- 
tween Areola  and  Tuscola,  was  survey.'il  in 
i8j[.  The  south  line  was  established  by 
lohn  Messiuger.  de]Hit\'  snrxeyor,  and  linislied 
.\l)ril  5  (if  that  year.     The  subdi\iding  of  the 


t^nvnship  into  sections  was  finishetl  Ijy  A. 
McK.  llamtranck,  a  deputy,  June  g,  182:. 
The  sur\e_\ing  was  dmie  nine  years  before  the 
first  settler  struck  the  comity.  In  this  con- 
nection ;l  may  be  said  that  no  Douglas  county 
sur\"ey.ir  has  e\er  discov(;red  in  the  interior  of 
lbs  township  .a  single  original  goxernmeut 
corner  out  of  the  seventy-eight  which  the  gov- 
ernment surveyor  certifies  he  made,  and  per- 
petuated with  mounds  and  stakes.  Local  sur- 
veying was  done  here  first  in  1850. 

Laud  Entries. — The  first  of  land  within 
the  present  bounds  td'  this  tow'iiship  was  made 
December  24,  1832,  by  James  Shaw.  He 
entered  several  tracts  at  about  the  same  time 
in  Bourljou  township,  and  subsequently  other 
lands.  His  descendants  are  yet  citizens  of 
Bourbon,  and  one  of  his  sons,  W.  N.  Shaw, 
represented  Bourbon  as  a  super\isor  for  al)out 
six  years  cimsecutively.  and  died  in  1882,  while 
in  office.  Land  was  also  entered  in  1853  by 
the  Geres  and  Maiden  Jones  and  O.  B.  Fick- 
lin. 

Many  large  farms  on  the  jirairie  were 
started  bv  men  who,  ciMuing  trom  a  hilly  or 
timbered  location,  seeing  the  beautiful  rolling 
])rairies  for  the  lirst  time,  ready  for  the  i)l;)w 
without  stuni])  or  s!tone  to  hinder,  co\-eted  the 
whole  expanse,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
and  iiearK'  e\er\'  one  purcli.ased  too  much  for 
his  capital.  Smaller  farms  mean  more  ])eoi)le, 
more  real  W(_irkers  and  more  real  owners. 
Time  and  again  railroad  lands  were  taken  up 
by  the  whole  section,  a  house  and  some  teiic- 
iiig  built,  but,  after  a  few  years'  exjierience, 
the  li>ad  pn>\ed  too  he;i\y,  and  the  laud  was 
]ierniitted  tn  gi  1  back,  or  perhaps  a  small  [lor- 
lioii  was  ])aiil  Inr,  and  retained. 

The  Railroads. — The  township  is  traversed 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  109 

Ijy  the  Chicago  hranch  nf  tlie   iniiiois  Central  delixered  in  no  greater  amount  per  mile  than 

railroad,  rtinnino;  aliout  mirth  and  south,  lea\--  six  thuus.ind  dulLars.  ihniugh  the  eiiunt\-  as  t"ai- 

iiig  two-thirds  nf  the  are.a  to  the  east   side  of  ;is    it    was    praetieahle,    to    inllnence    tlie    other 

the  road.  lo\vnshi])s  through  whii'h  the  road  should  p.ass. 

Areola  towmship  is  also  traversed  from  east  to    simil.ar    action,    the    ])etitioners    suggested 

to  west  hy  the  Illinois  Midland  railwaw  now  the  lh;il  ;i  meeting  lie  hel<l  for  the  pnr])ose  on   |nne 

X'andalia.     This  road  was  origin;dly  an  enter-  _'4,    |S()().     At  this  lime  1).   Ilitchcock  w.as  the 

prise    of    ]iromineiit    citizens    ol    the    city    and  snpei'\isor    .and      Tliom.is    Todd,    clci'k.       The 

\icinit\".  and   was  lirst  called   the    \';\v\>  iv    l)c-  ])elitiou   \\;is  sigiu'd  li\'  t".    h".    i'lo^^\vortll,    1.  ( i. 

catur ;  upon  the  extensi(jn  of  the  road  to  Tcrre  r.owni.ni,  J.    W.    l)(.ugl;is,    |.    11.   Ward,    II.   1). 

1  laute,  the  n.ame  of  that  city  w.as  ])relixed,  ;md  Jenkins,  j.    R.   .Smith.  John    R.aw    hames    Mat- 

linally  it  recei\ed  its  pi-esent  name.     The  lirst  ters,    W.    II.    I'.nrton,    I'.    M.    .Mon.ah.an.    |.    W. 

tr.ain  passed  over  this  road  Octoher  _>5,  187-'.  I.ontli.in,  j.ames   Heggs  ;ind   C.  C.   Rust.     The 

.\rcola  aui]  other  township  honds  were  is-  election  w.as  held  ;iccordingl\ .  and  resulted  for 

sued  hy  a  \oic  ot  tlie  people.  :imoi;uting  in  the  suhsciaption  t^j^  \otes,  .against  it  one  \ote.     (  )n 

aggregate  to  $if)5,(X)Ci,   the  amount    Nuted   hy  .\ugnsl    id.   oSjo.  John   R.av  w.as  anthori/ed  to 

this   township   lieing   .$100,000.      These   ho'iid.^  procure   tin-  hl.ank   hoiids;   they   were   made   to 

were  dis])osed  of  hy  the  com]i.any.  .and   linail)'  he.ai"  ten   \>vv  cent   interest    from   Al.ay    1,    iXji, 

found  their  way  into  the  h.ands  of  innocent  i>,ai  p.iy.ihle   ;il    the   .Securitx     l'.,ink    in    .\'ew    ^'o^k. 

ties  ,as  an  iinestment.     The  leg.ality  of  the  |iro  John  J.   Ilenrv    w.is  .ippoiiUeil  to  .act  .i^  trustee 

ce<lure  was  made  a  (pn-sliou,  hoth  ,i>  to  i-.illing  to  ia'cei\e,  hold  and  p;i\   out  the  honds,  .and  the 

the  election  .and  \oting  the  honds.  .all  of  which  signing  of  them  w.as  r.atilied  hy  the  town  .and 

were    lin.ally    decided    ,ad\ersely;    conse(|uently  itors  ou  the  3d  of  April,    1  Sj  i . 
the  honds  ha\e  not  lieen  ]iaid  hy  the  township,  This  ro.ad  w  .as  pro  jected  .and  ])ut  through  h\- 

though  the  railroad  re.apeil  the  henelit  of  them.  three  or    four   residents  of   Areola   Citw    who. 

The  ro.ad  enters  the  township  .at  tlu'  uortlc  pa  ior  to  the  heginning  of  the  enterprise,   w  laa- 

west   coiaier  of  section   d,   township    1.;    north,  pursuing    the    e\en     tenor    of    their     w,a\-    ,as 

range  8  e.ast,  runs  in  a  sonllu'.astei'l)-  ilirectioCL  iiuiel  .ami  good  (atizens,  n(  it   rem.ark.ahli'  .aho\e 

to  the  city  of  .\rcol,a,  thence  e.asl  .along  the  mid  their    fellows    for    .an\-    more    lin,an(  i.al    .ahiht\- 

line  of  the  north  tier  of  sections,  .and  le.a\es  the  th.an    the   .aver.age.      The\'    huilt    the    road    .am! 

townshi])  at  .ahont  the  northeast  corner  of  sec-  controlled    the    fr.inchist's   milil    it    w.as   cousol- 

tion  3,  township   1  _)  north,  r,ange  ()  t'.asi,  occu-  idated. 
pying  a  length  of  .ahont  eight  miles.     The  ]iro- 

])osed  don.ation   of  the   towiishi])  honds   to  the  vi[\  oi'  .\kcoi..\. 

r.ailro.ad  w.as  in  conse(pience  of  ,a  petition  which 

suggested  that  they  should  dr.aw  {v\\  jier  cent  .Arcol.a  Cit\'  occu])ies  all  of  section 
interest,  ])ayahle  semi-.annn.ally,  the  honds  not  4,  west  h.alf  of  southwest  ipi.artei-  of 
to  he  delivered  until  one  mile  of  tr.ack  h.ad  heen  section  3,  .and  the  north  h.alf  of  the  north- 
graded  ;uid  ironed  in  the  township,  and  to  he  e.ast  (|u.arter  of  section  i),  .all   in  township   No, 


I  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


14,  north  of  range  8.  east  of  the  tliird  ])rinci- 
pal  meridian.  "Okaw."  tlie  original  town,  was 
laid  off  1)V  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Com- 
pany, upon  its  own  lands  in  section  No.  4,  and 
occupied  a  tract  of  land  lying  on  the  west  side 
of  the  southeast  quarter  of  the  section,  ahout 
one-half  mile  long  hy  about  one-quarter  mile 
wide,  on  either  side  of  the  railroad  track;  it 
was  surveyed  by  John  Meadows,  Coles  county 
surveyor,  October  22.  1855,  so  that  Areola 
antedates  the  county  by  about  four  years.  The 
]ilat  and  survey  were  indorsed  by  J.  N.  A.  Gris- 
wold,  president  of  the  company,  and  they 
reserved  a  strip  of  land  one  hundred  feet  wide 
on  either  side  of  the  centre  line  of  the  track. 
North  and  south,  across  the  whole  of  said  plat, 
they  also  reserved  the  right  to  lay  side  tracks 
on  both  Chestnut  and  Oak  streets,  outside  the 
two  hundred  foot  limit,  and  for  warehouses, 
and  it  was  specially  stated,  that  "no  right  of 
crossing  that  part  marked  as  reserve  for  Illi- 
nois Central  railroad,  at  any  point  between 
.Second  South  and  Second  North  streets  is 
granted  to  the  public." 

The  first  town  was  laid  off  jjarallel  with. 
and  at  right  angles  to  the  railroad  track,  and 
consists  of  twenty  blocks,  the  lots  next  to  the 
railroad  having  a  front  of  forty  feet,  the  back 
lots  being  eighty;  they  all  have  a  uniform 
depth  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet;  the  east 
antl  west  streets  are  of  a  width  of  seventy  feet ; 
those  running  parallel  with  the  railroad  alter- 
nate with   widths  of  seventy  and    forty   feet. 

McCaiiii's  first  lulditiaii. —  In  .\pril,  185S. 
John  McCann  made  the  lirst  .'iddition,  con- 
sisting of  varied  sizes  of  lots  and  blocks.  It 
was  surveyed  by  Stephen  B.  Moore,  of  Coles 
county.    Mr.  Moore  also  surveyed 

Ilcnrv's  iuldilion. — This  addition  was  made 


by  Dr.  F.  B.  Henry,  .August  2.  1858.  It  con- 
sists of  ten  blocks  of  fifty  feet  front,  being 
one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  dee]).  Dr.  Henry 
caused  the  streets  to  be  continuetl  as  first 
])lanned  by  the  railroad. 

Chandler  &  Bales'  addilioiis. — In  July, 
1864.  Messrs.  John  Chandler  and  Caleb  Bales 
laid  out  their  addition  on  the  south,  and  fol- 
lowed in  June,  1865,  with  the  second  addition, 
all  surveyed  by  E.  C.  Siler.  These  two  ad- 
ditions occupv  the  north  half  of  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  9,  township  14  north,  range 
8  east,  eighty  acres. 

McCauii's  second  addition  was  made  in 
July,   1877. 

Sheldon  &  Jacqne's  addition,  being  tlie 
west  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
3,  township  14,  range  8,  was  surveyed  Ijy 
Issachar  Davis.  August  6,  1868. 

Conned  proceedings. — The  first  city  coun- 
cil or  l)oar(l  of  trustees  was  convened  in  May, 
1858;  Mahlon  Barnhardt  was  the  president. 
The  city  clerk  was  1.  S.  Ta\l( ir.  \V.  T.  Sylves- 
ter and  John  J.  Henry  were  of  the  board.  City 
records  ])rior  to  1872  do  not  seem  to  be  avail- 
able. June  3,  1872,  a  meeting  was  held.  Mayor 
1).  Tibbott.  presiding,  and  the  council  con- 
sisted of  James  Matters,  1'.  1).  Ray,  Byron 
Willis  and  J.  M.  Righter.  George  Klink  was 
clerk. 

October,  1872,  a  minute  appears  which  re- 
cites that  "no  huckster  be  allowed  to  sell  pro- 
duce for  less  that  one  dollar  or  more  than  five 
dollars."  George  Klink,  Democrat,  was  elected 
mavor  in  .April,  1873,  and  re-elected  April  17, 
1877.  In  1873  the  first  council  consisted  of 
lames  Jones,  J.  H.  Magner,  James  E.  Morris 
and  H.  M.  McCrory.  W.  J.  Calhoun  was  city 
clerk. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


II I 


liicorponitioii. — A  petition  fur  iiicorpora- 
tiim  was  circulated  in  June,  1873,  signed  by 
(ine  luuidred  and  twenty  citizens.  Tlic  election 
was  held  June  16,  same  year,  and  resulted  for 
incorporation  under  the  general  law,  two  hun- 
dred and  forty-four  votes:  contra,  eleven  ;  total, 
two  lunulred  and  sixty-t'ue,  and  .\ugust  (>. 
1873,  the  city  was  incorporated  under  the  gen- 
eral law  for  incorpiirating  cities  and  villages, 
which  was  in  force  July  i,  187-'.  \V.  H.  Spen- 
cer, at  or  aI)out  this  time,  was  made  city  at- 
torney, the  salary  being  fixed  at  three  lumdred 
and  se\enty-ti\e  dollars  per  annum.  Mr.  Spen- 
cer was  a  member  of  the  Douglas  county  bar, 
and  later  remoxed  to  Terre  Haute.  The  city 
clerk's  wage  was  one  hundred  and  litty  dollars  a 
year.  Mr.  Spencer  w;is  autlKjrized  to  ])roceed  to 
S])ringtield  to  endeavor  to  procure  an  amend- 
ment to  the  general  incorporation  law  with  ref- 
erence to  minoril\-  re])resentation. 

riw  frrss. —  The  .\rcola  Record,  the  first 
newspaper  to  appear  in  the  city,  was  inaugu- 
rated under  the  auspices  of  the  Sellars  Brothers 
of  Tuscola  in  i8t)6 — the  enter])rise  having  been 
instittUed  bv  the  subscription  ot  liberal- 
minded  citizens,  witliiptit  reg.ird  to  ])olitical 
attinities;  it  was  an  independent  paper  until 
the  plant  was  liought  liy  John  M.  ( iruelle,  which 
occurred  soon  after  it  was  f.airly  st.arted.  h'or 
about  sesenteen  \'ears  Mr.  (iruelle  conducted 
it  as  an  advocate  of  l\c])ubli(an  prin('i])Ies,  dur- 
ing which  time,  bv  ilose  attention  to  tlie  busi- 
ness interests  of  the  ofl'ice,  and  .a  i\\k-  regard 
for  those  of  his  ;ido])ted  connty  .and  city,  he 
merited  and  received  ;i  l.air  sli.are  ol  success. 
I  ie  died  in  .Areola  on  the  _\:;d  of  (  K'tober.  1883, 
in  the  i)rime  of  life,  .after  ne.irly  .a  year's  ill- 
ness. The  papei"  is  continueil  under  the  man- 
agement  of  Collins  &  .Son. 


The  Herald  aiul  .\rolian  are  the  other  two 
]iapers  of  the  city. 

luirix  business  riilcrl^riscs. — The  first  house 
l>ut  up  in  the  city  was  the  Illinois  Central  sta- 
tion and  de])ot,  in  the  upper  part  of  which  E. 
Hewitt,  the  lirst  railroad  agent,  h.ad  his  resi- 
dence and  the  ])ost  office;  a  very  short  dis- 
tance northwest  I'.arney  Cunningham  erected 
the  lirst  dwelling.  Mr.  Cunningham  was  the 
father  of  I'rank  Cunninghaiu,  who  became 
sheriff  of  the  county  in  1872,  removing  to 
Tuscola,  where  he  died.  The  freight  house 
was  burned  in  the  great  fire  of  1881. 

John  Weber,  a  little,  keen,  wiry  German, 
kejit  store  here  in  1857,  first  situated  in  a  little 
shanty  south  of  the  southwest  corner  of  First 
.South  street  and  Chestnut  street,  and  after- 
w.ard  at  the  corner  at  Ewald's  present  loca- 
tion. This  corner  was  twice  l)urned,  as  a  hotel 
lirst,  and  again  in  the  gre.at  fire  of    1881. 

The  first  dry  goods  store  w.as  instituted  by 
V.  11.  iv  J.  J.  Henry,  ;md  w.is  afterward  under 
the  name  of  the  Latter.  The  binlding  w;is  lo- 
cated on  the  sonth  side  of  b'irst  .Smith  street, 
east  of  the  railroad,  and  was  destroyed  in  the 
tornado  nf  ]S38.  Mr.  J.  J.  Henry  w.as  .as- 
sociate justice  of  the  Connty  in  iS()5.  He  died 
March  1  1,  i8()5,  an<l  w.is  the  father  of  Josei)h 
r.  1  lenry. 

The  drug  business  w.as  started  by  W.  T. 
.SyKester  and  Joseph  1'.  Ilenrw  the  latter  snc- 
ceeiling  to  the  business  .at  the  soiillu'.Hst  corner 
of  l'"irst  Sonth  .and  (  );ik  streets,  where  he  had 
m.aint.ained  .a  ]irolit.able  trade  since  iS^.S.  His 
close  .attention  l(]  the  rei|uirements  ol  the  case 
and  his  popularity  resulted  eventually  in  .ample 
me.ms.  Mr.  Henry  died  July  i>).  18S3,  in  llu- 
prime  of  his  life  .and  uselnlness. 

Tlie  drug  store  of  W.    1'.    liovil  w.as  estab- 


112 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


libhed  in  1867.  By  tlie  way,  tlie  first  officially 
recorded  survey  made  in  Dout^ias  cnunty  was 
ivr  his  father,  Mr.  W.  P.  I'.cyd.  It  was  May 
21.  1859 — west  half  of  section  5,  township 
14,  range  8,  half-mile  west  of  city  limits.  Wil- 
son B.  Boyd  came  to  Douglas  in  1859,  and  re- 
sided here  until  the  time  of  his  death,  March 
10,  1867. 

The  first  Ijanking  house  was  instituted  m 
March,  1868,  by  Messrs.  Beggs  &  Clark,  which, 
hank,  December  9,  1875.  l)ecame  merged  into 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Areola:  ad  inlcriin 
Wyeth,  Cannon  &  Co.,  of  Tuscola,  bought  the 
business,  and  in  August,  1870,  Mr.  Wickes, 
their  Tuscola  bookkeeper,  removed  to  Areola, 
taking  charge  of  their  interests  until  they  were 
relinc|uished.  The  bank  had  a  capital  of  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  James  Beggs,  president;  (".. 
L.  Wickes,  cashier. 

The  i)resent  l:«nks  arc  the  First  National 
i'>;ink  and  the  State  Bank. 

At  the  lirst  bank  of  Wyeth,  Cannon  &  Co., 
at  Tuscola,  a  Pennsylvania  Dutchman  bought  a 
draft  for  sixty-nine  dollars  from  Cannon,  and 
taking  it  home  jiasted  it  in  with  his  receipts, 
and  sat  down  at  the  stove  with  the  happy  con- 
sciousness of  having  done  his  whole  duty.  In 
the  course  of  time  he  was  further  pressed  by 
his  creditor  for  a  settlement,  ;ui(l  pitched  into 
the  bank  for  keeping  his  nmney. 

I'lic  churcJu's. — The  I'resbyterians  built  the 
first  church  in  the  city  in  i8r)0,  the  first  pastor 
being  Jos.  .Allison. 

The  (Christian  church  w;is  instituted  Jnlv 
10,  1863;  the  lirst  trustees  being  W.  T.  Sylves- 
ter, Joseph  Walling.  J.  M.  Lessinger,  J.  AI. 
Hollandsworth,  John  Woodall.  L.  McAllister, 
who  were  elected  for  five  years.  The  churcn 
lionght  lots  I  and  _',  block  7,  of  Henry's  aildi- 


tion  to  Okaw,  October   1,^.   1864.  and  built  the 
church  the  same  year. 

St.  John's  Roman  Catholic  church  was  built 
on  lot  8,  block  7,  Henry's  addition,  in  1874, 
tlie  deed  for  the  lot  being  dated  January  1 3, 
1 87 1,  and  first  made  to  the  .Archbishop  of  St. 
Louis,  bv  him  to  I'.ishoj)  Alton,  and  then  to 
St.  John's  Roman  Catholic  church.  The  mcm- 
Ijers  of  this  church,  though  not  generally  of  the 
wealthier  classes,  show  a  devotion  to  their  les- 
sons and  modes  well  \\orth}'  of  imitation. 

The  Methodist  church  acquired  lot  4,  block 
16,  in  original  town,  April  13,  1864.  The 
church  was  built  in  1865.  This  denomination 
in  Areola  was  a  little  late  in  building.  The 
Metliodists  generally  build  about  the  time  the 
proposed  city  is  laid  out.  They  are  now  con- 
structing a  fine  brick  edifice  at  a  cost  of  several 
thousand  dollars. 

The  Ba])tists  have  also  a  church  building, 
erected  about  1804. 

The  Lutherans  have  also  a  church  ImiKling. 

The  Fpisco])alians.  .At  ;i  co.st  of  about  one 
thousand  dollars  an  l4)isco])al  church  was 
erected  on  lots  1,  2,  3  and  4,  on  the  northeast 
corner  oi  block  3,  in  the  original  town.  I\e\ . 
Wells  was  the  first  pastor.  .Among  those  who 
are  supporters  of  the  clnn-ch,  through  natural 
alTinilv  and  educalion.  are  the  descendants  ol 
John  P.lackwell  and  the  families  of  J.  R.  Smith, 
L.  C.  Rust,  1.  C.  Justice,  N'ellum  and  others. 
The  society  has  only  been  aide  to  secure  occa- 
sional ser\-ices. 

The  luislnmstcrs. — K.  Hewitt,  the  railro.ad 
agent,  w;is  the  first  postmaster  (  1858),  and  the 
office  was  in  the  first  freight  house,  where  he 
lived  with  his  family.  He  afterward  removed 
to  Tuscola,  and  was  agent  there  for  many  years. 
Once  upon  ;i  time  a  jjelition  was  circul.ated  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


113 


Tuscola  for  his  removal,  but  it  failed  to  get 
a  respectable  number  of  signers;  the  olijcction 
was  his  manner. 

Galtoii  and  Filsoii  slations. — daltoii  is  a 
point  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  three 
and  a  half  miles  north  of  the  railroad  crossing 
in  Areola,  and  is  situated  in  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  section  16,  township  13  north,  range  8 
east.  It  had  been  known  as  the  liciurbon 
switcli,  or  Tie  switch,  and  was  originally  lo- 
cated as  a  point  for  the  reception  of  cross  ties 
during  the  construction  of  the  road.  It  was 
m;ide  a  dag  station  in  1SS2.  Mr.  J.  P.  Wool- 
ford  is  the  only  merchant  and  grain  buyer  Iiere 
(see  .sketch). 

I'^ilson  is  a  station  and  postoffice  situated 
in  tlie  northwest  ]);irt  of  section  5.  township  14, 
range  9  east,  on  the  line  of  the  Illinois  Mid- 
land Railway.  It  has  a  side  track,  and  is  a 
receiving  point  for  considerable  agricultural 
productions. 

NEWM.VN    TOWNSHIP. 

Newman  township  is  nearly  all  prairie. 
The  country  ri.ses  tow;ird  the  north  and  fi  >rms 
.'•  narrow  rise  of  land  genendiv  known  .as  the 
■■Ridge."  P.eing  all  prairie,  this  town.ship  was 
one  of  the  latest  settled,  the  first  comers  seem- 
ing to  |>ret'er  the  timbered  ]xirtions  as  a  ])ro- 
tcction  from  the  ble.'ik  winds  and  .also  as  a 
means  of  procm-ing  fuel,  building  m;iteri;d  and 
fencing,  .\ewnian  township  occupies  the  north- 
east ])ortion  of  Douglas  county.  In  iS.Sj  Mnr- 
dock  townshi])  u;is  created  out  of  .\'ewnian  .and 
Camargo  townships. 

Forty  years  ago  Newman  township  was 
one  vast  unbroken  level  and  it  was  not  supposed 
at  that  time  that  it  could  ever  be  settled.     K.\- 


cepting  after  a  rain,  a  drink  of  water  could  not 
i)e  had  between  the  lunbarrass  and  the  Little 
V'eriuillion  rivers,  for  upon  these  boundless 
])rairies  no  habitation  was  seen.  Yet  a  few 
brave  and  far  seeing  pioneers  \entiued  to  es- 
tablish homes  here,  realizing  there  was  a  for- 
tune in  the  black  and  lo.aiuy  soil  when  they 
could  once  get  it  into  proper  condition.  Some 
ot  the  land  was  very  low  and  wet,  biU  they 
persevered  and  cut  open  ditches  first,  until  in 
course  of  time  a  steam  dredge  was  einploved 
which  was  ca])able  of  excavating  a  ditch  ten 
feet  dee])  ;md  from  ;uiy  wi<lth  to  fort  v.  This 
afforded  an  excellent  outlet  to  the  Lateral  tile 
ditches  which  the  farmers  siwn  had  constructed 
through  the  low  and  wet  places  on  their  lands, 
and  these  farms  are  among  those  least  affected 
by  drouth.  The  result  of  such  di-;iining  has 
been  to  increase  the  value  of  land  to  such  an 
extent  that  rents  within  the  p.ast  fwc  vears 
ha\e  increased  from  three  dollars  up  to  as  high 
as  .seven  dollars  per  acre.  What  is  now  the 
I.,  D.  &  \V.  k.  R.  \v;is  completed  through  the 
township  in  1S7J,  the  first  train  .ind  engine 
passing  through  here  July  (),  iSj,^  To  this 
road  the  township  gave  twebe  thousand  dol- 
lars, lletore  this  was  completed  the  peo])|e, 
cs])ccially  in  the  northern  ]);u-t  of  the  township, 
hauled  their  gr.iin  to  llomer.  in  (  hjuuiiaign 
coniUy,  taking  one  entire  day  for  the  trip. 
I  heie  being  no  public  highways  across  the 
pr;iiries,  no  bi-idgos  were  constructed  .and  there 
were  numerous  sloughs  to  be  ;i\(]iik-(|,  i-;uising 
an  extra  .amoiuit  of  tra\el.  With  a  light  lo.ad 
the  sloughs  coukl  safel\-  be  crossed.  With  the 
settling  u])  of  the  conulrv.  f;irins  were  fenced 
oil.  roads  laid  out,  sloughs  .and  streams  bridged 
and  the  facilities  for  travel  gre.atly  imju-oved. 
The  development  of  the  L'nited  .States  and  es- 


114 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


pecially  the  great  West,  can  be  traced  directly 
to  the  railroad  system.  The  equipments  upon 
the  road  going  through  this  township  are 
probably  unsurpassed  in  the  west,  and  when 
the  intended  connections  are  made,  it  will  be 
one  of  the  largest  passenger,  freight  and  mail 
routes  in  the  west. 

Newman  township  contains  some  fine 
farms,  among  which  was  that  of  C.  M.  Cul- 
bertson,  lying  northwest  of  Newman,  of  o\er 
two  thousand  acres,  which  is  the  largest  con- 
tiguous b(.idv  of  land  in  the  eastern  end  of  the 
county.  The  view  from  the  rolling  prairie 
known  as  the  "Ridge"  in  the  north  part  of  the 
township  is  more  extensi\e  than  can  be  ob- 
tained in  any  other  part  of  the  county.  This  is 
certainly  the  garden  spt)t  of  Illinois.  Those 
who  first  came  here  half  a  century  ago,  hoped 
to  see  the  desert  "blossom  like  the  rose,"  and 
the  reality  has  far  surpassed  their  wildest 
dreams.  Struggling  settlements  have  developed 
nito  splendid  cities  and  towns,  and  no  one  now 
considers  he  is  in  the  far  west,  but  right  in  the 
heart  and  center  of  this  great  nation.  The  west 
of  the  present  day  is  away  towards  the  setting 
sun,  beyond  the  Rockies. 

One  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  tow'nship 
was  Enoch  Howell,  who  was  out  of  the  asso- 
ciate justices  of  the  county  at  an  early  day. 
The  W'inklers  and  Hopkins'  were  also  early 
settlers.  Robt.  Hopkins  was  one  of  the  first 
juflges  of  Coles  county  in  1839,  at  the  time  of 
the  separation  of  Douglas  and  Coles  counties. 
He  and  his  brothers.  "Uncle  Jimmy"  and 
"Col."  Ho]ikins.  located  here  about  1841.  Win. 
Hancock  came  in  1839.  am]  in  1847  ^^'^s  made 
justice  of  the  peace  at  Camargo,  before  the 
county  was  divided,  an  office  which  he  held  for 
over   thirty   years.      He   was   the   first    count\' 


treasurer  and  assessor  in  1859.  In  1867  he 
was  a  member  of  the  state  board  for  the  equali- 
zation of  assessments,  and  in  18G8  was  elected 
for  four  years.  In  1872  Governor  Palmer  ap- 
pointed him  notary  public.  He  was  delegate 
to  the  state  convention  that  nominated  Gov. 
Oglesby,  and  was  also  one  of  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  the  Masonic  lodge  of  this  city.  Isaac 
and  John  Skinner  came  here  in  1839.  Isaac 
Skinner  has  now  three  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  land,  having  had  nothing  when  he 
attained  his  majority.  With  one  exception  he 
is  the  oldest  living  resident  in  the  township. 
Wm.  Shute  came  here  in  1852  and  engaged  in 
farming,  antl  was  also  an  extensive  contractor 
and  builder.  He  built  the  Fairfield  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  church,  the  Pleasant  Ridge  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  and  the  Cumberland  Presbyter- 
ian church  and  school  building  at  Fairmount  in 
N'ermilion  county.  He  has  biult  in  all  nine 
school  buildings  and  many  business  blocks, 
among  them  the  large  block  in  this  city  in  which 
the  Newman  Bank  and  other  prosperous  busi- 
ness firms  are  located.  He  was  born  in  1817, 
and  has  been  a  member  of  the  MetlKidist  church 
for  forty-two  years.  "Uncle"  .\ndrew  Ash- 
more  settled  on  the  prairie  south  of  town  in 
1826,  but  moved  in  1890  into  Newman.  His 
cousin.  Major  Sam  Ashmore,  settled  on  Brush)' 
Fork  in  1830.  and  was  one  of  the  leading 
spirits  in  getting  the  slaves  of  Bob  Matterson 
started  otY  for  Liberia.  Matterson,  in  1840, 
brought  fifteen  slaves  into  the  townshi])  from 
Kentucky.  The  abolitionists  in  the  \  icinity  de- 
termined the  "niggers"  should  lie  freed,  as  they 
had  come  into  a  "free"  state.  Two  or  three, 
however,  returned  to  Kentucky  with  their  mas- 
ter, though  one  olil  man  named  Wilmot  re- 
mained here  and  was  still  in  1884  a  resident  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  115 


Douglas  county.  Quite  a  notable  trial  grew  were  among  the  early  .settlers  in  the  township, 
out  of  the  case,  in  w  iiich  Ahe  Lincoln  and  O.  David  Todd  came  to  the  Ridge  in  an  earlv  day. 
B.  Ficklin  were  ojijiosing  counsel.  In  i(S47  or  He  was  supervisor  of  the  township  in  1870. 
1848  jerry  Coffey  came  to  Brushy  Fork  witli  linally  moving  to  .\ewman,  where  he  engaged 
his  parents.  D.  O.  Root  came  in  1854  from  in  tiie  hardware  business.  His  youngest  son 
Ohio,  and  has  been  prominently  identified  with  is  now  station  agent  on  the  I.,  D.  &  W.  at  Tus- 
the  interests  of  town.ship  and  county  ever  since,  cola.  B.  W.  Hooe  was  supervisor  of  the  town- 
W'm.  ^■nung.  (if  the  Ridge,  was  the  earliest  set-  shi])  from  i8r)8  to  1873.  He  died  in  1875.  His 
tier  in  that  .section,  cuming  there  in  i85_:;,  where  wife,  who  was  the  sister  of  Isaac  Skinner,  died 
he  built  the  first  house  on  these  prairies.  He  in  1892.  She  had  been  a  resident  of  Douglas 
died  in  1861;.  leaving  three  hundred  and  twenty  county  since  1839.  Lsaac  Wyckoff  came  about 
acres  of  land  to  his  family.  He  gave  six  hun-  1838.  He  kept  hotel  in  Caniargo,  finallv  ukiv- 
dre<l  dollars  toward  building  the  l'"airlield  Cum-  ing  to  the  Ridge  near  his  S(jn-inlaw,  ]as. 
berland  Presbyterian  church,  and  lived  long  Coolley.  He  was  postmaster  for  in;mv  years 
enough  to  see  it  erected,  and  his  funeral  w.isthe  of  Phrenix  ])ost  oflice.  which  was  in  1891  dis- 
finst  preached  in  it.  His  wife's  twn  brothers,  continued.  Dr.  W'm.  A.  Smith  came  to  New- 
James  and  h>hn  Coolley.  came  with  him  and  m;m  in  1800,  where  he  was  a  successful  physi- 
also  took  u])  land.  When  ;i  young  man  in  Indi-  ci;m  for  over  a  (|u;irter  of  a  centurv.  He  was 
ana  James  split  many  ,1  lot  of  r.iils  ;it  fifty  cents  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  one  of  the 
per  Inmdred.  With  a  cousin  of  his  he  one  charter  members  of  the  Newm.an  Masonic  lodge 
winter  s]ilit  twenty-fne  thousand  rails.  His  and  its  first  worshii)ful  master.  las.  Mclntvre 
first  vote  for  president  w;is  cast  for  ( len.  Win-  came  from  (.'an.ada  in  1S04.  He  was  born  in 
field  Scott.  iM-oni  1808  to  1 87_'  he  was  justice  1805.  an<l  died  in  i8()j.  Jon,ith;in  McCown 
of  the  i)eace  :wi(\  has  been  a  life  long  elder  of  came  to  b'dgar  CMunt\-  in  1S3J,  but  bis  sons 
the  Fairlield  clinrcb.  He  now  owns  three  hnn-  are  residents  of  this  towiishi]),  where  |.  A. 
dred  and  twenty  acres  of  l.and.  John  Coollry  owns  a  line  f.arm,  .and  w.as  several  ve.ars  high- 
also  st.irted  Willi  nothing  but  has  .accuninl.ited  w;iy  commissioner.  Win.  Ile.atoii,  who  w.as 
a  fine  property.  Rev.  h  m.-ithan  Coolle\ ,  f.itbei'  born  in  1813,  came  to  the  i\idge  some  years 
of  James  and  John,  came  here  l.ite  in  1834, and  bel'ove  the  ('i\il  w,ar.  Thos.  Hull  w.as  l)orn 
org.anized  the  h'.iirheld  (  nmberlaiKl  I 'resby-  in  .\ew  ^'oI■k  stati- in  i  8_'<),  coming  to  Xewman 
teri.aii  chiircli  in  1833,  contiiming  its  p.astor  .about  i8(i().  James  .Morrow  is  .another  old  set- 
until  i87_>.  when  his  ni.antel  fell  ii]ion  his  son.  tier,  whose  large  f.arm  lies  just  cast  of  towai. 
Re\-.  C.  I'.  Coolley,  now  the  liiKancial  .agent  of  ihougli  he  residt's  in  this  cil)'.  He  .also  belongs 
l.incoln  Cni\ersity.  J.isi.ih  I  ).aines  came  from  to  the  (  i.  .\.  R.  .and  is  .a  Mason. 
I'ennsylv.ani.a  in  1834.  He  built  .1  inimber  of  'idle  m.ajority  of  the  early  settlers  have 
houses  in  the  lu-igbborhood.  His  aged  wil'e.  ji.assed  to  the  great  beyond,  while  ,a  sm.all  ma- 
who  is  .a  sister  ot  Jas.  (iillogly,  still  siir\i\es  jorit\-  still  siuwise,  whose  strong  hands  bore 
him.  I.  N.  Co\ert,  J.aines  (iillogly.  Joseph  the  heal  .and  burden  of  the  d.ay.  and  who  now. 
Dawson.  .Moses  Stickles  .and  .a  niimber  of  others  in  the  exeniiig  of  their  life,  are  resting  and  en- 


ii6 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


joying  the  fruits  of  tlieir  early  toil  and  labors. 
Many  interesting  facts  relating  to  the  ])ersonal 
history  of  various  prominent  men  u  ill  he  found 
in   the  biographical   department. 

THE    CITY    OF    NEWMAN. 

The  Newman  of  to-day  is  not  the  Newman 
of  twenty  or  thirty  years  ago.  A  person  re- 
turning here  e\'en  after  an  absence  of  ten  years 
would  tind  but  few  familiar  scenes  left.  Such 
a  wave  of  improvement  has  swept  over  the 
town,  its  biiuiidaries  Ijecome  so  extended  and 
the  magical  wand  of  enterprise  so  touched  our 
slothful  industries  and  laggard  capital  that  the 
progress  made  through  these  agencies  has  so 
changed  the  ti])ographical  appearance  of  the 
place  that  old  settlers  returning  on  a  visit  after 
an  absence  of  some  years  can  scarcely  lind  their 
bearings.  The  old  home  has  1)een  re])laced  by 
a  new  Newman  which  has  far  outstrippetl  the 
old  one. 

The  city  of  Newman,  consisting  originally 
of  about  forty  acres,  was  laid  out  about  1857 
by  B.  Newman,  one  of  the  original  proprietors, 
in  honor  of  whom  it  was  named.  Mr.  Newman 
was  a  son-in-law  of  Peter  Cartwright,  the  cel- 
elirated  Methodist  itinerant  preacher.  The 
progress  of  the  place  fniui  the  beginning  was 
very  slow,  the  pe()])le  waiting  fifteen  years  for 
the  railroad  to  l)e  cunstructed  through  it.  iM^r 
very  many  years  it  was  bul  a  small  \illage  con- 
sisting of  one  church,  two  stores,  a  school 
house,  Masonic  li.ill,  blacksmith  shop  and  a 
dozen  or  so  small  dwelling  houses.  "L'ncle" 
Jiihn  Stockton,  who  is  the  oldest  inli;ibit;mt  of 
the  city  and  also  the  townsbi]),  kept  the  hrst 
grocery  store  anrl  was  the  first  white  man  who 
slept  within  the  limits  of  ijr'  \illage.     The  first 


dry  goods  store  was  kept  by  John  Dicken. 
First  dwelling  house  was  built  by  Hezekiah 
Howard,  just  east  of  where  the  Commercial 
Hotel  now'  stands,  no  vestige  of  which  remains. 
His  willow,  "Gramlma"  Howard,  at  the  time  of 
her  death  was  the  oldest  person  in  the  town, 
living  long  enough  to  see  the  fifth  generation  of 
her  family  in  the  person  of  the  little  daughter 
of  the  late  Judge  Moffit.  In  1872  what  is 
now  known  as  the  I.,  D.  &  W.  Railroad,  after 
nearly  sixteen  years  of  preparation,  was  com- 
]jleted,  which  runs  through  the  city  connect- 
ing Indianapolis,  one  hun<lre(l  miles  east,  with 
Uecatur,  fifty  miles  west,  and  the  first  train  run 
through  here  in  October,  1873.  Newman  im- 
mediately showed  the  effects  of  the  im])etus 
thus  given  to  Inisiness  circles.  Brick  blocks 
went  up  like  h<iniem;ide  magic.  L.  J.  and  S.  C. 
Cash,  who  (or  manv  \'ears  had  been  the  sole  dry 
goods  firm  here,  built  a  fine  two-story  brick 
store.  Twd  grain  ele\ators  have  been  erected,  a 
fine  fitiwing  well — the  e(|ual  of  ;m\-  in  this  ]>art 
of  the  state — an  elegant  two-story  brick  school 
buikling  with  tower,  in  which  hangs  the  bell, 
and  a  new  frame  building  for  the  primarv  <le- 
]iartment,  evidences  the  fact  that  the  popula- 
tion is  ra])idly  increasing.  Two  other  churches 
ha\e  since  been  erected,  a  bank  established, 
lumber  yards,  caiuiing  and  electric  light  com- 
panv,  till  mills,  marble  works,  hav  ])ress,  broom 
factory,  tlour  mills  and  \arious  other  industries 
have  been  located  here.  .\  fine  (  )dd  Fellows 
temple  has  lately  been  l)uilt  ami  last  year  an 
elegant  K.  of  I',  hall.  The  Masonic  hall  at  the 
time  it  was  built,  1875,  was  the  linest  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  Other  orders  ha\e  also  com- 
fortal)le  lodge  rooms.  Newman  has  reason  to 
be  ])roud  of  its  public  well,  as  an  e\er-flowing 
artesian  well  for  the  accommodation  of  the  pub- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


117 


lie  is  to  be  found  at  the  eorner  of  tlie  public 
square. 

Newman  is  beautifuU}-  adorned  by  a  lo\ely 
park. 

The  first  school  house,  an  ordinar\-  buildinij 
erected  in  1858  at  a  cost  of  about  five  hundred 
dollars,  .stood  in  the  center  of  the  park.  The 
upper  story  was  used  as  a  Masonic  hall  until, 
in  1875,  ^\hcn  they  moved  to  their  new  hall  in 
the  brick  block  o\er  h'innev  &  Ciol<lman's  store. 
The  old  school  building'  was  then  remmed  and 
the  park  set  out  in  shade  trees,  the  pagoda 
erected  and  seats  constructed  beneath  the  trees 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  public. 

In  1874  C.  \'.  Walls  established  the  New- 
man Independent.  It  has  changed  hands  oc- 
casionally, but  has  come  to  be,  in  the  hands 
the  present  editor,  the  best  local  newspaper  and 
the  first  all-home  ])rint  established  in  the  cmm- 
ty,  and  Newman  owes  much  of  her  prosperitv 
til  its  untiring  zeal  in  promoting  the  interests 
and  welfare  of  the  city. 

The  griiwth  of  iho  town  was  for  a  time 
seriously  retarded  by  destructixe  fires.  In  1876 
(lillogly's  Hotel,  occn])ie(l  bv  (I.  A.  l""nller,  was 
burned,  and  in  1 SS 1  .n  large  porli<in  of  N'alcs 
street  was  consmned,  including  (i\\  inn's  llotel 
and  several  stores.  .Another  in  18S5  destroyed 
the  entire  east  side  of  Xorth  Broad wav,  includ- 
ing (lwinn"s  Hotel  again,  which  he  rebuilt,  the 
])ost  oflice.  book  store,  ICd.  Cole's  music  and 
jewelry  store,  groceries,  restaurants,  lawyer's 
offices,  etc.  The  population  has  steadily  in- 
creased until  it  now  numbers  eighteen  hundred. 
A  new  canning  factory  has  been  built.  .\  new 
Methodist  clinrch  is  now  being  built.  The 
town  has  growu  so  that  building  lots  are  at  a 
piemium.  Ceo.  White,  some  few  years  ago, 
laid  out  an  addition  to  the  southern  part  of  the 


city.  Thomas  Shaw's  addition  in  the  north 
part  of  the  city,  and  Smith's  addition  in  the 
southeast  part  are  building  up  very  rapidly. 
Wealthy  farmers  are  renting  their  farms  and 
moving  into  the  city.  A  few  years  ago  I. 
Sireibich  established  an  electric  light  plant 
here,  patronized  only  by  a  few  of  the  merchants, 
as  the  terms  were  exorbitant,  and  it  was  finally 
abandoned.  There  is  to  be  a  plant,  however, 
established  in  connection  with  the  canning  fac- 
tory that  will  light  the  stores,  dwellings  and 
streets  at  more  reasonable  prices.  Newman 
cemetery  lies  just  west  of  town,  consisting  first 
of  ten  acres,  to  which  has  been  added.  A  good 
side  walk  extends  from  the  city  to  the  cem- 
etery. 

Some  of  the  leading  men  of  the  county  and 
town  were  former  residents  of  Xewman.  New- 
man h.as  gi\en  three  county  clerks  and  three 
c<iunty  superintendents  of  schools  to  the  county, 
and  has  sent  forth  se\'eral  ministers  who  are 
making  their  mark  in  the  world.  .\  number 
of  young  men,  boi'u  ;nid  raised  hcie,  who  ha\e 
graduated  from  our  schools,  and  later  on  from 
medical  colleges,  are  now  successful  pbvsicians 
in  other  fields.  The  railroad  officials  sav  more 
business  is  done  in  Newman  with  the  I.,  1).  & 
W.  th.au  in  any  other  town  on  the  ro.ad.  This 
is  a  great  grain  center  and  also  a  temperance 
town,  there  ha\ing  been  no  saloons  here  since 
1X75.  In  1878  a  license  was  grantcil  to  drug- 
gists to  sell  li(|Uor  for  meclical  |)ur])oses.  This 
possibly  m;i\'  ha\e  been  abused,  but  there  are 
no  legalized  licensed  estal)lishments  for  the  re- 
tailing of  s])irituous  drinks  in  the  city.  The 
lust  hotel  was  ke])t  by  Mrs.  Susan  Hell,  a  house 
comprising  a  poiiion  of  what  is  now  the  Ma])le 
llotel.  which  is  a  good  house  in  e\erv  respect. 
The  City  Hotel  was  built  by  Thus,  (iwinn,  after 


Ii8 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


his  being  burned  out  in  two  fires.  Situated 
close- to  the  depot  it  is  convenient  to  traveling 
men,  who  patronize  it  largely.  R.  Thomas  has 
the  largest  tile  factory  in  the  county,  its  ship- 
ments requiring  a  special  railroad  switch.  The 
first  postmaster  of  Newman  was  Frank  W'ells. 
who  also  had  a  grocery  store  in  an  early  day. 
G.  W.  Smith  was  his  successor.  The  other 
"Nasby's"  have  been  Hugh  Cook,  J.  \V.  King, 
A.  J.  Hoover  and  T.  M.  Sidenstricker,  the  pres- 
ent incumbent. 

The  vast  majority  of  the  citizens  of  New- 
man own  their  homes  and  there  is  quite  a  de- 
mand here  for  houses  to  rent.  A  number  are 
erecting  hotises  to  be  rented. 

Iniprovcniciits. — The  city  of  Newman  has 
through  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  such  citi- 
zens as  Culbertson,  Roots  and  other  good  peo- 
ple, been  placed  far  in  ad\ance  of  other  towns 


of  its  size  in  the  state.  Mr.  Culbertson  has 
taken  deep  interest  in  Newman  city  and  New- 
man township.  The  interest  he  took  in  the 
building  of  over  six  miles  of  concrete  side 
walk  in  Newman  and  the  business  blocks  he 
has  erected  attest  his  public  spiritedness  and  the 
love  he  has  for  Newman  and  Newman  people. 
SociiTty. — I  shall  l)e  easy  on  Newman  peo- 
ple, for,  as  a  rule,  I  found  them  warm  hearted, 
h(jspitable,  gentlemanly  and  womanly  people. 
They  seem  to  well  understand  that  the  world 
was  not  made  entirely  for  their  own  special 
benefit,  but  for  others  as  well.  They  are  far 
superior  in  public  improvement  and  in  beauti- 
fying their  city  and  homes  to  any  other  com- 
munitv  in  Douglas  county.  The  village  is 
tull  of  first-class  business  and  professional  men, 
whose  standing  in  church  and  S(_iciety  is,  as  the 
world  goes,  unimi)eachable. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 


JAMES  P.  HKATOX.. 

James  P.  llcaton.  \\Iii>  was  a  ])r(  miiiiciit 
citizen  of  Xcwman  ami  a  nicniliiT  i<\  its  hoanl 
of  education,  was  Imin  Aui^iist  i(>.  1S45,  and 
died  March  14.  :Si)-,  ai;cd  fiftx-one  years,  six 
nioutlis  and  t\\ent_\-  ei,i;lu  days,  lie  was  a  n;i- 
ti\e  of  (ireene  count\',  I 'enns\I\  ania,  where  his 
early  youth  was  |)assed  anmnL;  the  ])icturesi|ne 
hills  and  scenery  of  that  nicuintaincius  region. 
He  was  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  lleaton. 
At  the  aire  of  sixteen  \ears  he  came  to  Illi- 


nois and  located  on  the  Ridge,  four  miles  north 
of  Newman.  At  that  time  there  was  no  church 
building  in  that  section  and  in  \HU)  when  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterians  Iniilt  their  church 
he  contril)uted  liberally  toward  its  construction 
and  helped  in  the  good  cause  in  various  ways, 
]n  1S7-'  he  joine<l  the  Methodist  church,  and 
when  the  M.  E.  church  on  the  Ridge  was  built 
he  and  his  brothers  contributed  largely  toward 
its  erection,  upon  ground  donated  by  their  fa- 
ther, who  located  on  the  Kidge  sometime  dur- 
ing the  '5*^^  -'"d  entered  a  tract  of  laml  ol 
1 ,4(.)0  acres.  He  afterwards  li\ed  in  h'd'.'ar 
county  from  iSj:;  until  1885.  when  he  mo\cd 
to  Newman  and  li\ed  there  until  his  death  in 
1  Sijy. 

James  Heaton  w.as  not  long  in  beciining  one 
of  the  most  inllurnti.il  .ind  prosperous  citizens 
in  his  neighborhood.  In  1S71  he  bought  a 
tract  of  l;m<l  now  known  as  the  .Spimg  llrjuich 
.Stock  harm,  loratei'  iusl  o\er  llie  line  in  h'.dg.ar 
county.  J  lis  |)rinci]i:d  1  icciip.it ion  was  stock 
raising,  his  farm  containing  ()00  acres.  In  ad- 
dition he  owned  a  business  block  anil  a  residence 
in  Newman,  whence  he  removed  in  1^(85,  ( )n 
March  4,   1873,  he  was  wedded  to  .Miss  Lottie 


122 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Harris,  of  Cliariti>n.  Iowa,  a  daughter  of  juhn 
and  Lucinda  Harris.  To  their  marriage  were 
born  live  cliilihen.  three  of  uhuni  are  !i\ing-: 
Eva  E..  wlio  is  the  wife  of  Joe  Walker,  a  law- 
yer of  Tuscdla;  Ada'  May  and  Boyd  H. 

Mr.  Healon  held  .several  local  offices,  was 
four  vears  su])er\isor  and  was  collector  for  the 
same  length  of  lime  nf  his  township  ni  ]'~dgar 
count v,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  w;ts  a  men.'.- 
ber  of  the  hoard  of  education,  and  city  alder- 
man of  Newman.  He  was  a  member  of  the  I. 
O.  O.  F.,  and  in  the  death  of  Mr.  I  leatmi  New- 
man lost  one  of  her  most  pnpular  and  usetnl 
citizens,  who  was  always  ready  to  ailvance  tlie 
interests  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived  tor 
the  common  good  of  all. 


tncky,  antl  a  daughter  of  Washington  lies,  who 
was  a  stock  bn\'er  and  who  was  horn  in  Ken- 
tucky and  emigrated  to  .S])ringfield,  llhnois, 
where  he  li\ed  until  his  death. 

Frank  E.  Loose  located  in  Douglas  county 
in  about  1880.  and  on  September  3,  1879,  he 
married  Miss  Fannie,  the  only  daughter  ot 
the  late  Mr.  and  Mrs.   lohn  M.  Madison   (see 


FRANK  E.  LOOSE. 

Frank  E.  Loose,  one  of  the  leading  farmers 
and  business  men  of  the  county,  residing  upon 
his  farm  in  the  north  suljurb  of  Tuscola,  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  in  the 
year  185Q.  He  was  reared  on  the  larni  anl 
was  educated  in  S|)ringheld.  his  fathet  "s  tarni 
lying  just  .south  of  the  cit\-.  I  lis  father.  Jacol.) 
G.  Loose,  was  born  in  l-'ranklin  count)'.  Penn- 
sylvania, just  across  fmm  the  Maryland  line. 
He  sank  the  first  shaft  in  the  vicinity  of  Spring- 
field, on  his  own  farm,  mortgaging  almost 
everything  he  had  to  accomijlish  this,  and  his 
venture  was  richly  rewarded  by  finding  a  paying- 
vein  of  coal,  lie  bei'ame  (|iule  well  to  do,  and 
died  on  his  farm  in  1874.  M;u-y  I'dizabeth 
(lies)  Loose,  his  mother,  was  a  native  of  Iven- 


sketch).  She  died  June  25,  1897.  She  was 
born  in  Tuscola,  and  was  nearly  thirt}-five 
vears  old  at  her  death.  .\t  the  age  of  fifteen 
she  united  with  the  Christian  church  of  Tus- 
cola, in  which  denomination  she  was  an  active 
church  worker  throughout  the  rest  of  her  life. 
\\'hen  seventeen  years  of  age  she  w  as  united  in 
marriage  to  Frank  E.  Lo(.xse,  who  survives, 
with  their  only  child,  Jennie,  who  is  aliout  fif- 
teen years  old  and  was  the  constant  companion 
of  her  mother.  In  1898  Mr.  Loose  married  for 
his  second  wife  Miss  M.  Estelle,  a  daughter 
of  Svlvester  J.  Paris,  of  Tuscola.  Mr.  Loose 
owns  two  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  ad- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


123 


joining  the  city  of  Tnscola.  and  also  owns  tlie 
hnsincss  Ijlock  now  occnpicd  liy  Warren  & 
Mnrpliy.  Aliont  iSgj  he  joineil  the  Christian 
fhnreh  and  has  heen  an  olfieei"  in  it  e\xT  since. 
He  is  the  father  <>f  luie  chdd,  a  dauL;hter,  Jen 
nie  Ehzahcth  Loose,  who  is  now  in  eollci^e  at 
Jacksonville.  Mr.  Loose  and  wile  reside  in 
their  heantifnl  h<inie  in  the  snhnrh  ol  Tuscola, 
where  they  are  e\'er  reaily  to  !.;i\e  .1  hospitahle 
welcome  to  their  inan\   friends. 


RK\'.  W.  v..  Ml'.A.WS. 

Re\'.  W  illiani  I",.  Means,  proprirtiir  of  the 
Atwood  I  lerald,  was  l)orn  at  I'aris.  I'.dgar 
county,  llinois.  June  _'8.  i(S30.  i  \v  attended  the 
district  school  (Inrin"-  the  winter,  wdrkiiii;-  on 


]»repare<l  to  enter  T^aris  hii^h  school.  In  1S74 
he  niatritailated  .it  the  .\ort1iw fstern  I'nixer- 
sit}',  and  was  graduated    from  the  theological 


department  of  this  well-known  institution  in 
the  farm  during  the  summer  months,  nntil 
the  classed'  iSj*).  .\  fter  gra<ln.ition  he  wasad- 
inUted  to  the  .Minnesota  conference  ol  the 
.Methodist  L^])isco])al  church,  and  w.is  ,'ippointed 
pastor  of  the  Rushmore  charge,  where  a  hand- 
some four-thonsand-dollar  church  w;is  hndl, 
free  from  deht.  In  the  middle  of  the  second 
\e.ir  he  was  appointeil  to  Ln  \  erni',  where  the 
church  was  .greath'  hlessed  during  his  lahors 
with  a  sweeping  re\i\al,  the  chnrcli  completed, 
,nid  the  way  prepared  for  the  jiaying  olY  of  a 
ciatshing  deht.  J'inding  the  Minnesota  winters 
Colder  than  he  liked,  he  found  an  o]iportunity. 
in  the  s])ring  of  1S84.  to  transfer  to  South 
K.ansas  conference,  where  during  the  year  he 
was  instrumental  in  huilding  two  places  of 
worshi]).  a  temporar\'  huilding  in  L'ort  Scott, 
Kansas,  which  alterward  hecame  ( irace  clun'ch, 
an<l  a  heautiful  \illage  church  at  lliatt\itle, 
Kansas.  The  two  years  following  were  sjient 
at  Moran,  Kansas,  and  were  \ery  fruitful. 
IVhjre  than  a  humhed  were  gatherecl  iiUo  the 
church,  and  the  church  thoroughh'  oi-g;niixed. 
.\  pastorate  of  three  and  a  half  years  on  the 
C'aney  charge  was  likewise  fruitful  in  re\i\als, 
deht  ])aying  and  church  huilding.  In  (  Jctojicr. 
iS<)i.  Mr.  Means  was  in\ited  to  hecome  ])as- 
tor  of  the  Methodist  h'piscopal  church  at  .Sid- 
nev.  Illinois,  and  the  following  year  passed  a 
])!-os|)erous  \ear  on  the  .\twood  charge.  l*"ail- 
ing  health  compelled  him  to  ictire  from  the 
])astorate  in  the  fall  ( d'  181)3,  and  he  has  since 
held  a  superinnner.iry  relation  to  the  Illinois 
confrrence.  <d'len  rendering  efficient  service  in 
the  ministry,  without  assuming  the  responsihili- 
ties  of  a  p;istor,d  ch.argi'.  In  iS()5  he  leased  the 
Atwood   Herald,  and   purchased  it  the   follow- 


124 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


ing  year.  The  paper  was  established  in  1888, 
and  is  independent  in  j)olitics.  It  lias  a  good 
circulation  and  is  an  excellent  advertising 
medium. 

Mr.  Means  was  married  in  1884  to  Miss 
Ella  M.  Chesnut,  of  Delavan.  Minnesota.  To 
them  have  been  biirn  one  chiKl.  a  son.  Lyril, 
aged  lifteen  years.  Mr.  Means  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  N.  and  Jane(  (Juiett)  Means,  natives  of 
Ohio  and  Tennessee,  respectively-  His  grand- 
father, William  Means,  was  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent.  In  manner  Mr.  Means  is  approacha- 
ble and  unassuming,  anil  is  highly  respected  Ijy 
all  who  know  him. 


STEPHEN  REDDEN. 

Ste])hen  Redden  was  born  in  Bracken  coun- 
ty, Kentucky.  April  14.  1818.  and  was  a  son 
of  James  Redden,  who  ha\ing  a  large  family 
of  children  growing  up  resoi\ed  to  gi\e  them 
a  better  chance  by  going  west.  Consetpiently 
he  made  a  flat-hoat,  and,  with  his  family  and 
se\'eral  of  his  neighbors  and  their  families, 
he  embarked  <>n  the  ( )hio  ri\er  for  what  was 
then  consideretl  the  far  west.  Stephen  Redden 
was  at  that  time  four  years  old.  At  Louisville 
they  would  not  trust  the  flat-boat  to  carry  them 
o\er  the  falls,  but  were  put  ashore  and  either 
walked  or  were  con\c\cd  in  some  other  man- 
ner to  Porthuul,  just  below  the  falls,  where  tliL- 
boat  landed  and  took  them  on  lioanl.  'I'hey 
landed  at  Evansville,  Indiana,  sometime  in  the 
fall  of  i8_'_',  and  after  disposing  of  the  llit-boat 
and  investing  in  an  o.\  team  Mr.  Redilen  and 


family  started  for  the  land  of  promise,  the 
Prairie  state,  while  the  other  families  cast  their 
lot  with  the  Hoosier  st.ate.  It  was  no  uncom- 
mon thing  for  them  to  meet  l)ands  of  blanketed 
Indians  and  see  droves  of  deer,  or  to  be  "lulled 
to  sleep"  at  night  by  the  "music  of  the  wolves," 
on  their  journey  irom  the  Ohio  ri\er  to  the 
small  village  of  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  which  at 
that  time  consisted  of  a  tavern,  a  few  saloons 
and  stores,  and  a  horse  ferry  to  cross  the  Wa- 
bash river.    They  located  on  Big  Creek,  Edgar 


county,  where  they  remained  until  1830,  when 
they  removed  to  Coles  county,  now  Douglas 
county.  Here  Ste])hen  Redden  grew  to  man- 
hood at  the  hard  labor  of  making  rails  and 
breaking  the  new  prairie  soil  with  o.\  teams, 
but  occasionally  taking  a  little  pastime  with  his 
trusty  rifle  and  his  faithful  dogs,  and  many  no- 
ble Inicks  dropped  at  the  crack  of  his  rifle  and 
many  a  sheep's  life  was  saved  by  his  dogs  get- 
ling  the  wolf  before  the  wolf  got  the  sheep.    In 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


125 


Iiis  later  clays,  while  suffering  in  his  last  sick- 
ness, he  wnulil  forget  the  racking  pains  while 
telling  oi  his  hunts  in  his  hoNhoml  days.  .\t 
that  time  there  were  no  schools  that  he  could 
attend  and  all  his  education  was  recci\ed  l)y 
reading  from  the  light  nf  liick(jry  hark  hurned 
in  the  old  fire  i)lace.  He  ne\er  learned  to  write, 
hut  his  mark  on  any  note  was  worth  one  hun- 
ilred  cents  to  the  dollar. 

He  was  married  to  \'ashti  Winkler  in 
March,  1840;  he  made  rails  all  day  and  was 
married  in  the  evening.  His  wife  was  horn  in 
Warwick  county,  liuliana,  I'V-hruary  2.  iSiS, 
and  was  a  little  owr  two  months  older  than 
iiim.  He  hought  eighty-four  acres  of  laud  a 
sliorl  time  aftc'r  he  was  married,  at  tweuty-two 
dollars  ])er  aci'c,  an<l  ]>\  frugality  and  strict 
economy  he  [)aid  for  the  land  aud  Inult  a  house 
in  which  he  h\ed  until  his  <lcath.  Ills  helo\eil 
wife  de|)arteil  this  life  March  j,  1  SjS,  leasing 
him  without  an\' children,  llis  home  w. as  deso- 
late, hut  1 'ro\i<lence  lailcd  that  U  last  hut  a  short 
lime,  .and  he  w;is  .again  ui.arru'd,  this  tiuie  to 
.Mrs.  Mary  .\.  Tinkle,  of  (  harleMoi,,  Illinois, 
Novemher'  3,  iSSo.  .She  h.is  hccn  to  him  a 
!()\'ing  wife,  a  f.uthfnl  comii.iuiou.  aud  during 
his  last  sickness  a  trusted  uui'se.  prolougmg  his 
days  hy  her  untiring  an<l  constant  attention. 
Lincle  .Stexe,  as  he  was  fauiiliaiK  known,  was 
strictly  honest  in  his  dealings.  \\v  peacefully 
fell  aslee])  in  the  .ai'ms  of  his  .S.i\i(iui'  at  eleven 
o'clock  A.  M..  .\]ird  17.  |S()~.  at  the  ri]ie  age  of 
seventy-nine  vears  .and  three  davs.  Ills  widow. 
Mis.  Marv  A.  Redden.  Ii.as  two  I'hildren  liv- 
ing hy  her  lirst  hushaud:  Aaron  'I'.,  in  Kaus.as. 
and  Malissa.  wife  of  II.  K.  .Morgan,  of  .Mur- 
dock.  .Mrs.  Redden  resides  a  gre;it  deal  of  her 
time   .at    .South    llaven,    Michii'.an.      .She   owns 


three  hundred  and  four  acres  of  land  in  Sar- 
gent township  ancl  forty  acres  in  Bowdre  town- 
ship. 


JOHN  T.  IRWLV. 

|ohn  'P.  Irwin.  retire<l  f.armer.  and  for  manv 
ye.ars  a  highly  resi)eete(l  citi/eu  of  the  count v, 
is  a  son  of  George  and  Jemim.a  (  Russell)  Ir- 
win, ,and  was  horn  in  Lawrence  cotnitv,  i  )hio, 
M;iy   jS,    iS_>4.      Ills    f.ather   was   u   native  of 


\, 

i 

m. 

K 

y 

.-    V' 

^:, 

'i 

4\ 

^i^ 

■^ 

^BBH^BfiivLiiiii^ 

.Montgomery  countv.  (  )hio,  and  his  mother  of 
G.ahell  Countv.  W  I'sl  \  irgini.i.  ( it-orge  Irwin 
was  horn  (  )ctolKT  j^,  ijt)<).  and  dii'd  .May  J_^, 
iSjr.  Me  followed  the  occu]i;ition  of  farming 
])rinci|)allv  ;  emigr.aled  from  his  native  countv 
to  l.;ivvrence  countv,  (  )lho,  in  the  w.iv  iSiS. 
lie  w  .IS  a  son  of  'I'lioinas  Irvv  in.  w  ho  was  a  na- 
live  of  Ireland,  aud  served  in  the  war  of   iSij. 


126 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


John  Russell  (maternal  grandfather)  was  horn 
in  Virginia  and  was  a  weaver  hy  trade. 

In  1870  Mr.  Irwin  reni(i\ed  fnim  Ohic.  to 
Illinois,  and  settled  on  a  farm  of  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  two  miles  north  of  Ca- 
margo.  where  he  continued  the  pursuits  of  the 
farm  until  1894.  In  that  year  he  retired  from 
active  business  and  removed  into  the  village  of 
Camargo.  where  he  and  his  wife  reside  in  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  homes  in  the  village. 
When  he  retired  he  divided  his  property  among 
his  children. 

On  September  11,  1845,  he  wedded  Miss 
Lettie  Wiseman,  who  was  born  in  Monroe 
county.  Virginia,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Isaac 
and  Sarah  (Ramsey)  Wiseman.  Her  grand- 
father, l.saac  Wiseman,  was  probably  a  native 
of  Virginia.  To  John  T,  Irwin  .and  wife  have 
been  born  eight  children,  four  of  whom  are 
now  living:  William  T.,  who  resides  in  Lhi- 
cago;  Lewis  K.,  who  resides  on  part  of  the  old 
homestead;  Harriet,  wile  of  Dr.  W.  H.  Burt- 
nette;  and  Ida  May.  wife  of  Charles  D.  Ham- 
mett,  of  Tuscola,  i  hey  have  hjur  dead  :  Sarah 
J.,  Mary  E.,  Jane  and  Ella.  Mrs.  Irwin  was 
bom  May  6,  1827.  They  will  have  been  mar- 
ried tifty-tive  years  their  next  wedding  anniver- 
sary. John  T.  Irwin's  early  advantages  for  an 
education  were  very  limited,  he  having  attended 
only  fourteen  days  in  all  at  school.  Me  has 
served  as  supervisor  of  Camargo  township,  and 
he  has  been  superintendent  ol  roads. 

On  July  4.  1861,  he  volunteered  in  an  in- 
dependent company  of  Ohio  cavalry.  'I  hese 
were  ninety-day  men  called  out  to  serve  uiild 
they  were  superseded  by  ;i  comp.any  of  regulars. 
On  Inly  _'_',  i8()3,  he  joined  the  Xinety-hrst 
Ohio  X'olunteer  Infanlry,  as  hrst  lieutenant  of 


Company  D,  and  in  the  following  October  he 
was  wounded  in  a  skirmish  near  Mt.  Pleasant, 
Maryland,  which  disabled  him  for  further  act- 
ive service.  He  was  licensed  to  e.xhort  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  1865. 


CHAS.  L.  McMASTERS. 

Chas.  L.  McMasters,  dealer  in  grain,  coal 
and  seeds,  and  a  popular  young  man  of  Tus- 
cola, was  horn  on  a  farm  three  miles  north- 
west of  Tusc(^la,  in  Tuscola  township,  March 
26,   1867,  and  is  a  son  of  S.  L.  and  Hannah 


(  Maris )  McMasters.  win >  were  natives  of  Parke 
county,  Indiana.  In  \X(»)  bis  father  sold,  his 
farm  and  remo\ed  to  Sand  Springs.  Kansas, 
where  he  folldwcd  f.irming  .and  stock  raising 
until  his  dealb  in  May.  1870.  ;ifter  which  bis 
mother,  with  three  children,  two  sons  and  one 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


12; 


daugliter — Charles  heinq'  the  vonnQ-er — re-  Scotcli-Irish  ancestry  and  were  memhers  of  t!ie 
nioxeil  to  W'inllelil.  Cuw  ley  cnunty,  Kansas,  I'reshyterian  clnn-ch.  I'he  latliei- dieil  in  1X7:;. 
wliere  she  resided  vnitil  the  spring-  nl  1X77.  at;ed  almnt  si\t_\-  li\e  years;  the  nmiher  died 
thence  niox-int^-  to  Jo]ilin,  jasper  county.  Mis-  wlien  oni  suhiect  was  ahont  f\\el\e  wars 
souri,  where  slie  chetl  Octoher  3.  of  the  same      old. 

year.     In  March,   1878.  Charles,  heinj^  only  in  Mr.  Lindsey  was  reared  on  a  f.arm  and  re- 

his  ele\'enth  year,  returned  to  Tuscola  to  li\e  cei\ed  a  coninion-scliool  educaticjii.  and  w  as  en- 
wilh  his  nncle,  janies  Haxis.  Jlere  lu'  weiU  t^as^ed  in  f.arniini;  in  (  )hio  up  to  .St'j)k'nil)er  14, 
to  schcKil  until  l'"ehrnary,  iXSd.  when  lu'  he-  1855,  when  he  einii^rated  to  llhnois  an<l  locat- 
canie  a  clerk  for  1  );i\  is  iv  h'inney.  in  the  i^i-ani  ed  on  ;t  farm  in  Ivli^ar  connt\',  which  he  rent- 
business,  and  remained  their  liodkkceper  and 
conlidential  clerk  up  to  1SS8,  when  Mr.  l).i\is 
ilieil.  The  hrm  was  then  succeeded  h\'  JMnnc}' 
&  McMasters,  which  husiness  continued  up  tcj 
181^1.  when  Mr.  .McMastersliought  the  inter- 
est o|  lii>  jiariiu'r  and  since  then  h.as  heeu  .alone*. 
Me  is  U'.iw  in  the  midst  i>f  wh.it  ]iromises  to  he 
a  most  successful  husiness  career.  I  le  hu\s  and 
selK  .ahout  two  hundred  ami  lifl\-  thou^aud 
Iiu.^hels  lit  grain  ainui.alh.  and  aKi,  deals  in 
coal  for  the  local  trade. 

Mr.  McMasters  has  tin-ice  heen  elected  to 
the  eiffice  of  cit\  ti'easuiei-,  Ir-Iouos  to  the 
Masonic  and  Red  .Men  fralenulies  and  is  de- 
servedly popular  ui  husiness  and  social  larcles. 


fOlIX  I.TXD.Sl-A-. 


ed  some  llirei,-  or  four  \e.ars.  lie  then  houghl 
torty  ;naes  .and  tilled  this  until  1S71,  when  he 
removed  to  K.ans.is  .and  rem.aiiied  tlu're  for 
.ahoul  two  \ears  ,aiid  a  h.df.  .at  the  end  of  which 
lime  he  returned  to  Illinois  .and  loe.iu^d  ne.ar 
jolni  l.milsey,  owner  of  the  l".\er;'reen  Mcklin.  mi  .a  f.uan  of  ,  me  hundred  .and  thirt  v- 
l.arm.  two  miles  west  of  Tuseol.a.  w.as  horn  in  I'our  acres,  which  he  liought  .and  still  owns, 
h'airlield  county,  Ohio,  .\pril  j.  i8:;,.|,  .and  is  He  resided  on  tin's  f.arm  until  18X5.  when  he 
a  sou  of  Thom.as  and  Mary  (  r.l.ackhuru  )  i.iud-  came  to  his  I'Aeigreen  larm,  which  cont.ains 
sey.  I  hey  were  hoth  natives  of  Irelaui!,  one  hundred  .and  sixty  acres, 
■and  .atter  their  m.arriage  came  to  this  country  In    1S5:;    he    w.as   united    in    maiiiage    with 

111  .ahoni   \Sj().     They  were  hoth  desceiid.ants  of      Miss    l'",lix,aheth    h'.hert.    who   w.as  .also   Imiih    iu 


128 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Fairfield  county,  Oliio.  Slie  is  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Mary  (Gaul )  I'^hert.  To  their  mar- 
riage have  been  horn  ten  children.  John  Lind- 
say is  one  of  the  devout  and  useful  nieniliers  uf 
the  Methodist  church.  He  is  a  pleasant,  affa- 
ble gentleman,  has  accumulated  a  considerable 
competency,  and  resides  in  a  beautiful  home 
where  be  is  surrounded  by  the  modern  con- 
veniences and  comforts  of  life  which  fittingly 
crown  an  active  and  successful  career. 


DAVID  COOPER. 


David  Cooper,  an  old  and  uni\crsallv  re- 
spected citizen  oi  Tuscola,  wlio  has  long  led 
an  unselfish  and  benevolent  life,   was  born   in 


1    .  ■      ^ 

^-^-'.■^ 

§ 

W         ^  ,^ 

r 

\          ^ 

Greenbrier  county,  West  \'irgini;i,  in  the  year 
1813.  He  is  a  son  of  b'rancis  and  Elizabelb 
(Miller)    Cooper,   who  were  both  born   in   ihe 


same  county.  Simeon  Cooper  (grandfather) 
was  also  a  Virginian  by  birth,  and  was  in  the 
Revolutionar}-  war.  Henry  Miller,  his  moth- 
er's father,  was  born  in  (ierman\-,  and  was 
among  the  old  settlers  of  the  Old  Dominion. 
He  was  also  a  Revolutionary  soldier. 

David  Cooper  grew  to  manhood  in  his  na- 
ti\e  county,  his  early  schooling  l)eing  almost  en- 
tirely neglected.  y\ttheage  of  twenty-seven  years 
he  emigrated  to  Lawrence  county,  Ohio,  and 
was  there  engaged  in  farming  up  to  1856,  when 
he  rem<)\-ed  to  Kansas,  remaining  there  but  .a 
short  time,  when  he  went  to  Nodaway  county, 
Missouri,  and  lived  there  for  seven  years.  In 
1862  he  returned  to  Illinois,  and  settletl  in 
Champaign  counts ,  and  some  twenty  years  ago 
located  on  a  farm  of  twD  hundred  acres  in 
Tuscola  townsliip.  which  he  still  owns.  In 
1886  he  retired  from  the  farm  and  removed  to 
Tuscola.  On  April  11,  1839,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Virginia  Asbury,  who  was  a 
native  of  Greenbrier  county, West  \'irginia,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  William  .\sbur\-,  also  a  na- 
tive of  the  same  county.  She  is  still  living  and 
is  in  the  eighty-third  year  of  her  age  and  the 
sixty-first  year  of  her  marriage. 

Da\'id  Cooper,  or,  as  he  is  familiarh' 
known  as  "Cirandpa  Cooiier"  has  been  a  devout 
and  consistent  memljer  of  the  first  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  second,  the  United  llrethren, 
then  joined  the  Free  Methodist  church,  of 
which  he  has  been  a  member  aliout  twebe  years. 
making  in  all  about  seventy  years  a  member 
of  the  church,  a  most  remaikalile  record  of  ;i 
remarkable  man.  W  ithout  family  intluence  or 
outside  help  of  any  kind  Mr.  Cooper  has  not 
only  succeeded  in  life,  but  has  un^eltlsl1l\• 
helped  others  to  succeed      In  aboiu  1888  he  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


129 


chicllv  instnniR'iilal  in  the  ImiMin^  (if  the  l<"rcc 
Methdchsl  church,  in  the  northwest  part  of  the 
citv.  It  is  a  frame  eihtice,  3'>x4'>  I'eet,  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  about  three  luiiidred.  Rev. 
Jenkins,  of  Areola,  is  the  pastor.  The  nieiiiljer- 
ship  is  composed,  in  the  language  of  Mr.  Coop- 
er, "of  the  jilain.  coinniDU  pc(i[)le."  lie  is  the 
trustee  and  local  eliler.  and  occasiunally  gi\es 
the  congregation  one  ot  his  sermons  nn  "did 
time  religion."  1  he  .Sahliath  school  in  con- 
nection with  this  church  numhers  about  eight}- 
children.  Mrs.  K.ate  l.anib  is  the  cl.ass  leader 
of  the  cinn-cb.  l>a\id  Cooper  has  gi\en  thou- 
sands of  dollars  toward  the  building  of  I'hnrch- 
es.  While  living  in  Champaign  county  he 
ga\e  one  thousand,  fixe  Innidrcil  dollars  toward 
the  building  of  the  .Methodist  clinrch  locati.'d  on 
bis  farm  near  I'c^otum.  It  has  siui'c  been 
bought  b\  the  Cmted  rirethreu  people  and 
iii(.)\'ed   to  the   \ill;iije  of   resotum. 


he  beg.in  the  ])ractice  of  Law  :it  Tuscol.a,  becom- 
ing ;i  member  of  the  linn  of  llundv  iS;  Wdol- 
\erton.  lie  remained  with  Mr.  Ilundv  for  ten 
years,  until  the  death  of  the  latter  in  1SS5. 
l""rom  this  time  up  to  his  death  he  was  alone  \n 
the  ])ractice.  Col.  \Vo(ilverton  w:is  the  son  of 
Charles  W.  and  .\manda  (llohand)  \\dol\er- 
ton,  who  died  when  Charles  W,  was  an  inf.ant. 
His  father  was  a  millwright  by  trade,  but  to 
his  mother  much  of  his  success  in  life  w.as  due, 
she  being  a  woman  of  fine  intelligence  and  will- 


ciiAKLb:.s  w.  \\()()L\b:;croN. 


Chai'les    W.    WooKiTlon.    tor    m;mv   years 

noted    ;is   a    lawyer    in     1  )oiigla.s     C(iunly     ;md  ])ower.      In  llnishing  the  sketch  of   Mr.   W'ool- 

tbroughout    cenlr.al    Illinois,    w.as   born   .it    Kel-  veiton,  we  will  substitute  the  woiils  of  the  emi- 

viderc,   Illinois,    l''ebi-n;ny    jj.    1X47.   and   died  nent    l)oct(jr   llunl.  l.ile  ]i;istor  of  the    I'resby- 

.Xovember  nr,   iS()3.  in  the  lUrty  ninth  year  of  tenan  clinrch,  instead  (pf  our  own: 
his  age.     In  June.  1 SSS.  he  married  .Mrs.  blliza-  "(.h.arles  W.   W'ooKerton  w.as  born  at    I'.el- 

beth  ('.   Remine,  who  w.as  .at  that  Imu'  the  offi  \i(Iere.    Illinois,  .and  ,at   the  time  of  his  decease 

ci.al  court  rejiorter  of  the  then  jndici.il  district  li.ad  nearly  completed  his  fort\   ninth  \e.ar.     Ilis 

coiniiosed  of  Douglas,  Coles  and   I'Jlg.ir  conn-  \cjutb   w;is  markt'(I    with   the  most    industi'ions 

ties.  and  e.anH'sl   efforts  towards  self  education,   in 

Mr.    WooKerton    w.as   .a    gr.adii.att-   of    Mc-  which  he  w.as  depeiiilenl  l.argt'h' on  his  own  re 

Kendree  C  ollcge.  ,and  so.  Ill  a  Iter  his  L'l.idii.al  ion  sources,  .and   to  which  ellorl    w.as  .added   lu-ces 


130  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 

sary  exertion  wliich  he  manfully  rendered  on  bath  mornings  of  an  intent  and  interested  lis- 
hehalf  of  his  widowed  mother  and  family.  He  tener  to  such  views  of  truth  that  1  have  at- 
wronght  his  way  through  the  entire  course  of  temi)ted  to  present,  and  the  knowledge  and  e.K- 
prescribed  studies,  and  graduated  from  Me-  pectation  of  this  has  lieen  a  help  and  a  stimn- 
Kendree  College,  at  Lebanon,  Illinois.  While  lant  such  as  few  perhaps  realize.  1  he  warm 
engaged  in  teaching  he  pursued  the  studies  pre-  grasp  of  his  hand  whenever  and  wherexer  1 
paratory  to  the  legal  profession  until  he  was  chanced  to  meet  him,  with  his  in(|uiries  and 
admitted  to  the  bar.  His  first  experience  as  an  words  of  sym])athy,  notwithstanding  his  habit- 
attorney  was  in  connection  with  the  office  of  ual  reserve,  ha\e  prepared  me  to  feel  that  I 
the  well-known  lawyer  and  representative,  have  lost  a  friend  and  to  have  still  deeper  sym- 
Thomas  E.  Bundy,  some  years  since  ileceased.  j)athv  which  words  canmit  express  for  those 
"Mr.  W'oolverton  as  a  lawyer,  as  a  man  and  most  nearly  bereaved.  Mr.  Wiuiherton  was  re- 
as  a  citizen  is  well  known  in  Douglas  county  served  in  the  expressing  of  his  feelings  and 
and  beyond.     By  the  same  incessant  industry,  sentiments." 

and  honorable  attention  to  the  fiduciary  trusts  The  funeral  cortege  was  a  lengthy  one,  and 

and  duties  of  his  profession,  he  has  won  a  large  the  number  of  distinguished  men  in  attendance 

success,  and  a  distinction  which,  with  the  prom-  was  unusually  large,  all  of  which  deiionstrated 

ise  of   life  precetling   his   last   fatal   sickness,  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  fel- 

would  have  ripened  into  eminence  among  his  lowmen.     The  pall  bearers  were  Messrs.  P.  M. 

peers.     E\en  as  a  young  lawyer  he  was  able  to  Moore,  United  States  Marshal  W.  B.  Brinton, 

execute  in  two  instances  the  largest  bond  for  Rice  Er\in,  Thomas   W.   Rolierts,  James    .\. 

the  discharge  of     important    financial    trusts  Richmond  antl  P.  L.   Dawson.     The  remains 

which  had  ever  been  e.xecuted  in  Douglas  conn-  were  laicl  beside  those  of  the  late  John  J.  Jones, 

ty,  and  his  fidelity  in  all  commercial  and  civic  both  of  whom  were  warm  friends  in  life.     The 

relations   was  so   well    understood   that    up   to  Horal  offerings  were  \er)-  fine,  and  some  lovely 

the  time  of  his  departure  from  our  midst  large  pieces  came  from  those  who  held  iiim  in  noble 

trusts  were  committed  to  his  hands.     Of  ir-  esteem. 

reproachable  character  as  a  man,  he  leaves  large  1  he  deceased  during  his  twenty  years  prac- 

numbers  who  will  deeply  feel  the  loss  of  his  in-  tice  of  law  had  built  up  a  large  clientage,  and 

valuable  worth  among  us.      The  members  of  his  manv  duties  and  responsibilities  made  him 

the  bar,  honoring  his  memory  on  this  occasion,  a  very  busy  man.     At  the  time  of  his  death  he 

are  sincere  mourners  with  tho.se  most  nearly  was  attorney  for  the  1.  D.  &  W.  Railway;  also 

and  deeply  afflicted.     The  large  fraternity  who  for  the  Corn  Belt  Building  &  Loan  Association, 

have  known  him  as  a  member,  as  a  brother  and  tlte  bank  of  Baughman,  Bragg  &  Co.,  and  was 

as  a  man,  attend   in  charge  of  the  interment  manager  of  the  large  estate  of  John  J.  Jones, 

of  his  body  to-day  with  regret  and  with  love  and  several  other  large  estates,  besides  having 

unfeigned.     As  his  chosen  pastor   for  nearly  on  hand  many  important  cases  in  court  at  all 

five  years  1  have  been  conscious  on  many  Sab-  times.     He  did  business  on  a  large  scale,  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  131 

tlie  peiiplc  sought  him  l)ccause  nf  his  integrity  it   may  1)e,  hy  hidilen  generosities  of  our  11a- 

and  honesty  in  his  cleaHngs  with  them.  turc,  sudilenly  (h-a\vn  uijon  in  all  of  the  inten- 

He   was  a   member  of  the   following   JMa-  sity   of   deep-seated   sorrow,    and    thrnugh    the 

sonic  hodies.  to-wit :    Camargo  lodge.  Xo.  440,  gloom  see.  as  hrighl  lining,  the  nohler  elements 

.A.    !•".   &   .\.    M..    Camargo,    Illinois:    Tnsrola  of  the  true  man. 

Cha])ter,  No.  (>(<.   R.  A.   M..  Tuscola.    Illinois;  This  custom   is  not  of  mere   form,  hut   of 

Tuscola  Couni'il,  Xo.  _>i,  l\.  >S;  .*>.  M.,    Tuscola,  deep  merit:  an  oi)])ortnne  time  for  contempla- 

lllinois:  .Melil.a  Couimandery,  Xo.  37.    1  nscola.  tion  of  true  worth  and  trut'  mauhond.  \ielding 

Illinois.  fruitful   lessons   for  the  present   ami  enduring 

thoughts  to  guide  us  on  into  the  otherwise  ob- 
scure and  unknown   future.     .So  the  dark  pall 

EUi.oc.v  OK  HON.  noR.vcK  clakk  to  the  i,.\te  of   death    brings    the    white-winge<l    dove    .ami 

COL.  c.  w.  wooiAKKTON.  proclaims  the  brightest  sulijccts. 

To-d.iy    we    make    no    draughts    upon    our 

The   painful    duty,    at    the    re(|ncst     of    the  charity  in   speaking  of  the  subject  of  the  reso- 

Douglas   County    bru'.    is   iin])o-ed    upon    me   of  hitions   which    I    lia\e  the  great    hdUor  .m   be- 

oriicially  announcing  to  tln>  couiM   that  one  of  l,alf  of  our  li\iiig  brothers  to  ]ireseut   to  this 

the  members  has  passed  away;  one  to  whom  we  court.     Well  we  know  and  realize  that  to  your 

were  iiound  by  strong  ties  of  personal  esteem  honor  persDiiallv  oui'  words  of  praise  and  coni- 

and  friendshiii.  .md  by  ties  ot  i)rotession;il  as-  mendation    will   meet    with   a   heartv   response, 

soeiation  as  ;i  practicing  I;iw\er:  one  who  lion-  .Xninml  the  lil'eless  form  (jf  Ch.arles  W.  Wool- 

ored  our  jirofosion,  and  w;is  honored  by  it.  verton  has  been  drawn  the  mantle  of  de.Uh,  and 

That  such  a  duty  should  come  is  p.ainful,  we  r.ai.se  the  \eil  with  re\  erence  to  look  u]m  m  his 
yet  fate-bound  and  nn])ossible  to  escai)e  there-  life  and  cli.ar.acter  with  wirds  n\  truthfulness  to 
froiu.  With  the  ilre.ad  realities  before  us,  and  speak  of  him.  Knowing  the  youthful  struggle 
with  i)ower  to  recognize  the  same,  in  onr  m.anly  with  poverty,  .and  ambition  of  the  .Xmerican 
strength  yieliling  to  the  inexit.able.  it  is  ;i  pleas-  boy  of  Illinois  birth,  we  see  his  elastic  furm  and 
ing  task  to  speak  honest  words  of  eulogy  of  the  reliant  journey  up  the  stejjs  of  learning,  .and 
dead  and  words  of  symijathy  to  the  living,  it  while  possibly  chiding  his  hard  lot,  side  by  side 
is  always  thus  with  us,  when  grim  de.ath  en-  with  hi-  more  fa\-ored  companioirs,  with  de- 
ters otu' circle  and  with  ;i|ip.arent  ruthless  hand  tennined  nnen,  ncr\ed  b\-  the  oppMsition,  he 
plucks  those  who  seenungly  cm  least  be  sp.ared.  m.arches  .alongside  bis  competitors  with  long- 
With  the  spirit  of  frankness  we  s.ay  it  is  al-  iug  hope  of  nltim.ate  success.  .\s  year  (piickly 
ways  so,  lor  when,  perch.ance,  one  ol  less  de-  follows  year  we  lind  him  with  self  reli.ance, 
gree  is  elanneil  for  that  bourne  of  eternity,  without  assin-.ance,  in  the  I'orcniost  r.anks  of  his 
there  ci  iines  as  a  beliel,  it  seems  tc  1  us,  viitue  ;nid  professii  m  ,as  a  lawvi'r,  and  his  ]);ithw  .ay,  .anic  mg 
merits  lorgotten  .and  unlier.alded  like  the  still,  struggles  .and  dis;ip]iointments,  strewn  with 
undisturbed    repose  of   true   ucrlh,    magniried.  inounnK'nts  of  |)rofi'ssion.al   success.      In   look- 


132 


PJOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


ing  back  through  thi.se  years  of  untiring  labor 
we  see  success  written  upon  liis  every  effort. 
Witii   pliysical   strength   and   courage  the  citi- 
zen stands  with  all  the  enibellishment  of  the 
practicing  lawyer  and  able  jurist.     And  among 
those  who  speak  his  praise  and  his  worth  are 
many   who  in  every  day  life  received  the  en- 
couraging   word    and    the    helping    hand,    an<l 
joined  with  these  are  the  expressions  of  hearty 
gratitude  of  his  young  professional  brethren. 
With   sturdy,   honest   and    untiring   labor   and 
fidelity  came  tt)  him  rennuierating  trusts  and 
such  a  competence  as  to  place  the  loving  ones 
who  mourn  his  loss  beyond  the  reach  of  want 
or  dependence.     His  home  has  lost  a  jewel,  his 
wife  and  daughter  a  kind  husband  ami  father 
and    a    genial    companion,    and    his    sur\i\ing 
mother  a  son  whose  every  effort  was  resitonsixe 
to   her   wishes.      The   community   has   lost   an 
upright  citizen  and  the  Douglas  county  bar  has 
lost  a  brother  worthy  of  our  profession.     With 
the  unbounded  confidence  of  all  courts  betore 
whom  he  appeared  his  professional  honor  was 
ever  beyond  question.     He  was  a  close  practi- 
tioner, eloquent  and  forcible,  seldom  indulging 
in  invectives  or  sarcasm.      ^  et  his  power  and 
force  of  character   always    inspired   the   court 
and  jury,  as  it  did  himself,  with  cmifidence  in 
the  justice  of  his  cause,  and  he  was  at  all  times 
a  formitlable  ach'ersary. 

in  the  forty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  in  the 
very  prime  of  mental  and  ])hysical  life,  with 
sturdy  qualities  of  honest  heart  and  hand,  ;uid 
in  full  manhood  of  usefulness,  our  brother 
Charles  W.  Woolverton,  by  infinite  and  un- 
known I'rovidence.  has  been  cut  down.  With 
bowed  heads  to  the  ine\itable.  we  must  be  re- 
signed,  and   as  out  of  the  eternity   we   today 


and  now  seem  to  hear  voices  whispering  from 
the  "shadowy  silence  of  the  grave"  we  join  with 
reluctance  our  voices  in  a  k)ng  and  last  fare- 
well to  our  friend  and  professional  brother. 


R.  S.  FOSTER. 


R.  S.  Foster,  one  of  the  oldest  citizens  of 
Tuscola,  was  born  in  Clermont  county,  Ohio, 
March  4,  181 8,  and  is  a  son  of  Israel  and  Mary 
(Kain)  Foster,  who  were  natives  respectively 
of  Berkley  county,  Virginia,  and  Clermont 
countv,  Ohio.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of 
Daniel   Kain,  who  was  born  in  Willi;imsburg. 


Ohio,  and  was  a  member  of  one  of  the  early 
pioneer  families  of  that  section.  His  father, 
Israel  Foster,  was  born  in  1793.  and  in  18^7, 
with  his  family,  moved  to  Bracken  county.  Ken- 
tuck  v,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  on  the  Ohio 
river,  tweKe  miles  below  .\ugusta.  the  county 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL.  133 

seat  of  Bracken  CI lunty.  He  (lied  in  1S78.  in  the  eighteen  years  he  joined  Company  C,  Eight- 
eighty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  wiiile  on  a  visit  to  ecnth  Indiana  Infantry,  was  mustered  into  the 
his  tlaughter  in  Keokulv,  Iowa.  1  ic  was  a  sul-  service  and  was  out  foiu-  \-ears  and  two  months. 
(Her  in  tiie  war  of  iSij,  'iliere  are  few  soldiers  who  .served  longer  in  the 
R.  .S.  I'oster  receixed  a  common-school  edu-  Ci\il  war  than  Dr.  linrtnctt,  although  he  has 
cation  ;md  after  Icaxing  school  lu-  was  engaged  ne\er  a])])lied  tor  a  ])ension,  nor  would  ;icce])t 
in  farming  in  Urackeu  count}',  residing  at  Fos-  "He  it  it  were  tendered  him.  in  ])olitics  he  is 
ter,  when,  in  1X7S,  he  renioxed  to  Douglas  t'lc-  .same  as  he  is  in  all  other  affairs  of  life, 
county,  where  he  has  since  resided.  .\Ir.  Fos-  strictly  inde])endent.  lie  is  inclined  to  favor 
ter  has  heen  twice  married,  lirsl,  in  1X3S.  t, ,  '''c  Repuhlicans  of  the  anti-monopoly  ty])e. 
Miss  Elizahcth  Tuttle,  of  Maine,  whose  death  '"'^  '"  i''^</'  lie  voted  for  Brvan.  In  iShS  Dr. 
occurred  in  the  .same  year  of  her  removal  to  this  l^m'tnett  located  in  Douglas  county,  in  the 
county.  His  .second  wife  was  .Mrs.  IClixa  Iv  pra^t^^'-'  "I  '''^  l)rofess'on,  au<l  in  iXjj  he  lo- 
Kohens  whose  maiden  njuue  wa.  Maxwell.  ^■'"^'''  =^'  Camargo.  where  he  has  continued  to 
She  was  a  native  of  I'.racken  couutv.  Ke.ituckv,  ''^■'^'''^'-  '"  '^'>^  ^'^'  ^^tahli^hed  liis  ]  resert  drug- 
and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  was  a  resM.-nt  ^'"''''-  ■""'  '"^^■^'  "''"   '■'"^'  '^^'  '^''^  ""'  ''""^'  ■'^" 

of  lM,ster.     .Mr.  P'oster  owns  two  luuMrcd  au.l  """'''  ''''^''''  ^'''''^'"'  '''   l"'"-'"^''-b-- 

Dr.    Wilham    11.    llurtiiett    was   graduated 

froui    the    .Mianu    Medical    College,   at    Ciucin- 


1-or  the  past  \v\\  ye.ars  Mr.  I'Hster  has  been 
conlined  to  Ins  home  w  itli  rheumatism,  gett'iig 
out  ouly  occasional! \.  I  K'  has  li\  ed  a  long  and 
nsetul    life — a    man    of   strictest    integrit\-    and 


se\eiUy-two  acres  of  land  in  Areola  township 

which  is  one  of  the  line'-t  farms  in  the  couut\' 

,,  I        .    ,     ,       .1        ^T   .1      r       I-    ■  1       "''l''  '"  ''ic  class  of   iSf)-,  and  suhseinieiUlv  he 

lie    IS    de\i)ted     to    the     Methodist    h.piscopal  '      .  '  - 

,        ,        ,  .....  ,,,,,•  took  a  special  course  at  Ind'auapolis.     (  )n   lau- 

cliurch.      In  politics  he  is  a  stanch   Kepulilicaii. 

nary  ,^  1 ,   1S71).  he  w;is  m.arried  to  Miss  llattie. 

a    datiglitcr   of   John    .M .    Irwin,    df    Camargo 

(  see  his  sketch  ).     .Slu'  is  a  nati\e  of  Lawrence 

county,    (  Hiio.      The)    lia\e    li.id    two   children, 

hut  hoth  .ire  deceased.      Dr.   lUirtnett   is  a  man 
tearless    in    \oieing   his   convictions    upon    any         r  1      1  •     i-    ■  t      t  ■  r      1      ,-       ■ 

'  -       ot  marked  mdi\i(lualit\' ;  IS  perfecth-  Irank  .mil 

subject.  ,        ,  ,■  •      ,■  ■'  ,     ,  • 

onts|)okc'n   on   (|uestiiins   in    line   with    his  coii- 

\ictions   ;md    which    he   believes   to   he    honest 

W.  II.  r>C l\T\'l'7rT,  M    D  ''"''   '''!^''''  •'""'   ''^  uni\ers;illy  popni.ar  with  all 

who  undersland  him. 
Wilh.am  11.  I'.urtnett.  .M,  D.,  physici.an  .and 
druggist  of  Camargo,  ;md  a  \eter.an  of  the  w;ir 
of  the  I-Jeljelliou,  was  horn  in  Calli.a  county. 
<  )hio,  J.anuary  T).  184:5,  ;md  is  ;i  son  of  (ohn 
llurtnett,   who   was  .a   n.atixe    \'irgini;m.      His  j.ames  Jones,  ex-county  treasurer  .and  pres- 

niother  was  Mary  (iilmore,  .a  d.augluer  of  cut  deputy  treasurer,  ;md  also  the  present  ch.air 
-Matthew  Cilniore.  He  was  reared  and  edu-  ni.au  of  the  Dougl.as  county  Republican  central 
cated  in  his  native  county,  and  at  the  age  of     committee,  was  born  in  Franklin  county,   In- 


lAAH'.S    |().\ES. 


•34 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


cliana.  January  24.  1837.  In  1S58  lie  came  to 
Illinois  and  settled  in  \\'liiteside  county  and  en- 
.s^aged  in  fanning.  Two  years  later  he  re- 
moN'cil  to  this  county  and  bought  a  farm  in 
Areola  township,  where  he  resided  uj)  to  the 
time  when  he  traded  his  farm  for  one  in  Tus- 
cola township;  upon  the  latter  place  he  lived 
and  farmed  successfully  up  to  the  year  1.S84. 
That  _\'ear  he  was  elected  hv  his  |)arty  treasurer 
of  Douglas  county  and  mi:)st  efificiently  served 
in  this  capacity  for  one  term. 

James  Jones  is  one  of  the  most  unix'ersally 
po]iular  men  in  the  county.  He  has  heen  a 
successful  man  of  business  affairs  and  the  same 
methods  used  in  his  own  every-day  business 
life  he  applies  in  dealing  with  the  pnbl'c:  he 
is  \ery  approachable  in  manner  antl  of  str  ctest 
integrit}-  and  probity. 


\\ILL1.\A1  JI.  FRY. 

William  11.  l-'ry,  of  West  Ridge,  who  is 
the  grain  agent  at  that  place  for  T.  1).  Ilanson 
&'  Co.,  a  ])osition  be  has  filled  most  accei)tably 
to  his  emp]o\ers  and  the  general  ])nl)lic  for  the 
past  eight  years,  was  boi'n  in  Lamargo  town- 
ship. Douglas  countw  Illinois,  l'\'bniar\'  14 
i86g.  He  is  a  son  of  Dnniel  and  Millie  .\nn 
(  Braughton  )  Vr\.  wlio  were  Imrn  respectively 
in  PennsyKania  and  Kentucky.  Hisgrandfa- 
tliei'.  Ilein\'  i'"r_\-.  who  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
\ania,  came  west  and  became  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  in  L'amargo  township.  Daniel  !'"ry, 
who  came  ;it  the  sa.me  time,  was  born  in  1  S30 
and  died  in  1881  :  bis  wife  died  in  i8()3  in  the 
forty-first  year  of  her  age.  To  their  marriage 
were  born  four  children  :  William  H. ;  Mrs.  M. 
Entler,  residing  near  the  Mt.  Gilead  church ; 


James  W.  and  G.  \V.  G.  W,  Braughton 
(  grand fatlier )  was  of  English  ancestry,  a  na- 
ti\e  of  Kentucky,  and  settled  in  Camargo  town- 
shi])  at  about  the  same  time  the  Fry  family  lo- 
cated there, 

^\'illiam  H.  I'^ry  was  reared  on  the  farm, 
and  after  attending  the  graded  school  of  Ca- 
niai'go  was  one  year  at  the  Bloomington  nor- 
mal ;  leaving  there  he  entered  DePanw  L'niver- 
sit}\  at  Greencastle,  indiiuia,  where  he  contin- 
ued his  studies  for  three  vears.  After  lea\'- 
ing  college  he  taught  for  three  \'ears  in  Doughs 


roinitw  ;it  the  end  of  which  time  he  accepted 
bis  pi'esent  position  at  West  Ridge.  On  De- 
cember I,  1899.  li^  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness also  at  West  Ridge,  and  accepted  the  po 
silion  of  ]X)Stmaster  under  the  administration 
of    I 'resident    McKinley. 

(  )n  I'ebruarv  2 J.  i8(;2,  he  married  Miss 
Cora  A.,  daughter  of  W.  H.  Dodson,  a  justice 
of  the  i)eace  of  Tuscola.  Mr.  Fry  owns  twen- 
t\'  acres  of  land  in  Camargo  township,  besides 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


135 


])rnpertv  in  the  xillasijc  of  West  Ridge.  He  is 
a  Knight  ni  i'ytliias,  and  he  and  liis  wife  are 
meniliers  ni  the  Christian  churcli  of  Tuscola. 
Mr.  I'^ry  is  one  of  tliat  useful  class  of  young 
men  in  e\cr\-  count}'  whose  intelligence,  sturdy 
integrity  and  restless  energy  atld  stahility  and 
force  to  its  husiness  affairs. 


JAM1':.S  A.  KlNCAin. 

James  .\.  Kincaid  has  thidugh  his  own  indi- 
vidual etfort  and  unaided  hy  Iriends  liecoiue 
one  c)f  the  most  successful  fariuers  and  stock 
raisers  in  Newman  townshi]).  lie  was  horn  of 
humble   hut   honorable   parentage     in     Marion 


J^    -^. 

1 

Ml  1^ 

N         ^u 

Tpl*--    ' 

mm 

J^.      ) 

1 

^^H    ^B                         <U| 

.^«^      iHI 

neai'  the  \illage  of  Chrisman,  w  here  the_\-  resid- 
ed on  a  rented  farm  for  three  years,  when  they 
remoxed  to  Newman  township.  .•Mpiieus  M. 
Kincaid  has  been  dead  for  o\ci'  thirty  years, 
and  his  wife  died  March  y,  i<)oo.  b>hn  Kin- 
caid (grandfather)  was  liorn  in  Rohm  county, 
Ireland,  and  entered  land  in  West  Virginia. 
Barnett  Johnson  was  born  in  New  Knglaud. 
and  abso  entered  land  in  West  V'iigiina. 

James  A.  Kincaid,  bv  hard  work  and  good 
management,  has  achieveil  a  success  far  above 
the  average  farmer.  He  owns  eighty  acies  of 
valuable  and  well  imjiroved  land  and  has  onh' 
recently  erected  a  tine  residence  at  a  cost  of  o\cr 
three  thousand  dollars.  In  1S74  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Caroline  !•'.  Anderson,  a 
daughter  of  Elijah  Anderson,  who  was  one  of 
the  ])ioneers  of  the  I'.rnslu'  I'"orh  neighborhood, 
having  migrated  from  Indiana,  lie  was  born 
in  I'ose}'  County,  Indiana,  and  married  in  Ver- 
million coiiniw  tli.it  state,  to  .S.irali  .S.  James 
His  death  occnrre<l  some  eight  \eais  ago,  and 
he  and  Ins  wife  are  burieil  at  Albin  cemetery, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kincaid  ha\e  four  children 
li\'ing:  Sarah,  Nora  \".,  Rosa  Lee,  Caroline 
Elizabeth  and  James  .\.  A  son,  Moses  Ewen, 
died  September  ]_•.  iSjti.  Mr.  Kincaid  is  a 
member  ot  the  .Modern  Woodmen,  and  is  well 
and  la\(ii";ibly  known  as  an  iiilelligeut  and  up- 
to  date  f.irmer. 


DANIEL -\TTO. 


countN.  West  \*irgini,i.  .\ugnst  jj.  if^s.v  and  is 
a  son  of  Alpheus  M.  and  .Sar.'ili  (Johnson) 
Kincaid.  who  in  about  1803  emigrated  lioiu 
their  West  X'irginia  home  and  settled  on  a  farm      farmer  of  Newman  township,   was  born  near 


Daniel  .\tlt),  an  honest  and  hard   working 


136 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Bedford,  Lawrence  county,  Indiana,  July  15,  years  he  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  school 
184^:1.  He  came  to  Newman  township  in  1861  matters  and  for  eighteen  years  past  has  served 
and  was  for  three  years  a  tenant  farmer  before     as  president  of  tlie  school  hoard. 

In  1866  lie  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Phehe  Ogdon,  who  was  horn  in  Illinois,  a 
daughter  of  Alexander  and  Adaline  Ogdon, 
who  were  liorn  iu  \'irginia.  Five  children  have 
blessed  their  union:  Ira:  ( )ra.  who  is  in  his 
Iweutv-tliird  vcar  and  is  one  of  the  liright 
\(iung  scliool  teachers  of  the  county;  Barney, 
Alma  and  l.uc}-.  Mr.  Atlo  is  a  stanch  Re]iub- 
lican  in  his  jjohlical  opinion,  and  occupies  a 
high  ]ilace  in  the  resjjec!:  and  esteem  of  the  peo- 
ple among  whom  he  has  dwelt  for  so  manv 
vears. 


he  purchased  his  farm  of  forty-se\en  acres, 
which  he  yet  owns.  While  our  subject  was 
yet  small,  his  parents  removed  from  Lawrence 
to  Greene  county,  Indiana,  where  he  remained 
imtil  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  w  hen  he  mi- 
grated to  Illinois  with  his  mother  and  her  fam- 
ily. His  father,  Joseph  Atto,  a  native  of 
Natchez,  Mississippi,  was  left  an  orphan  at  an 
early  age.  At  the  age  of  five  }'ears  by  some 
means  he  was  sent  north  stopping  at  E\ans\ille, 
Indiana,  and  was  taken  by  Isaac  Mitchell,  who 
raised  and  educated  him.  In  1841  he  wedded 
Fannie,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Mitchell,  who  was 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  who  li\ed  ;uid  died 
near  Blotjmfiekl,  Indiana.  Daniel  .\tto  has 
been  a  busy  man  all  his  life,  had  few  school 
advantages,  but  knew  well  the  advantages  of 
an  education  and  has  seen  that  his  children  have 
amply    received    what   lie   lacked.      For   manv 


M.  D.  BARTHOLOMEW. 

Michael  D.  liartholomew,  a  reputable  and 
highly  intelligent  farmer  of  Bourbon  townsbi]). 
has    1)een    numbered    amou"'    the    residents    of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


137 


Douglas  count}'  since  [8C)i.  Ik-  and  liis  esti- 
mable wife  are  among  the  pioneer  settlers  who 
have  lived  to  witness  the  phenomenal  gnnvth 
and  (le\'elopment  which  has  placed  Duuglas 
County  in  the  i'ronl  rank  as  one  nf  ilic  nio^t 
prosperous  and  highlv  cultixaicd  portions  nf 
the  great  state  of  llliiuiis. 

Mr.  P'arthi  ilcmcw  is  a  nali\c  nf  the  state 
of  .\'e\v  \iirk.  lie  was  Imrn  in  .^t.  Lawrence 
ciiunty.  -\ugnst  _m  .  iSj^.  His  parents  were 
l.nnian  1!.  and  l.ydia  (  1  )aniel>  )  1 'i.miIimIi  nncw. 
'1  he  laniily  w;is  well  and  ia\(ii'alil\'  knuwn 
where  they  resided.  In  1  S4_.(  ihc\-  cinigrated 
to  the  West.  Snon  aflcr  rcai'hing  tlieir  new 
hiinie  in  .Mcllcnry  cuunt),  Illinois,  the  father 
died  and  the  taniil\  were  thrnwii  n]iiin  tlieir 
iiwn  resources.  The  snhject  ni  this  sketch 
was  then  eighteen  years  df  age.  1  le  cnntinned 
to  reside  in  Mcllcnry  enmity,  sharing  the  hard 
toil  and  prixatiniis  incident  npnii  the  life  in  a 
new  and  nnsetlled  regimi,  until  1 N47.  l'"c'r  the 
next  nine  years  \  ign  d  unity,  Indiana,  hecame 
his  home.  Here,  in  1S54,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  .Sarah  I  )urhani,  a  native  nf  \  igo  ci  luii- 
t\',  anil  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Durham.  Their 
marriage  ])ro\ed  a  ha]i|)y  and  congenial  one. 
lioth  Mr.  and  Mrs.  liartholomew  are  <  d'  l'"u- 
glish  ancestry.  Tlie  grand  fathei's  .  d"  the  sub- 
ject ot  this  sketch  rendere<l  In 'm  nable  and  dis- 
tinguished service  in  the  Ue\ > ilutionarv  war; 
the  genealog}-  nf  the  famiK'  is  lr;u-e<I  back  to 
the  earliest  settlers  nf  .\iner:c;i.  .Mr.  aii<l  .Mrs. 
I'artholomew  ha\e  been  gi-eallv  pi'nspered  in 
iheii'  Dnuglas  cnuiity  Iinine.  Thev  imw  nwu 
over  live  hundred  acres  nf  fertile  and  well  cul- 
liv.ated  land,  situated  in  llnurbnu  and  .\rcnla 
tnvvnsliii)s.  They  are  Imth  members  of  the 
United  Brethren  clinrch  at  Chesterville.     .Mr. 


I!arllinlnmevv  has  well  and  acceptablv  per- 
torined  the  duties  of  tnvvnsbip  treasurer  fnr  a 
period  of  twenty-eight  years.  He  has  been  su- 
])ervisor  and  held  miunr  oflices  of  trust.  Of 
the  live  children,  two,  l.uman  and  Isaac  Bar- 
thnldiiievv,  are  well  kiinvvii  and  prnspernus 
larniers  nf  linurbnii  tnwnship.  One  (d'  the 
daughters.  Pvliss  hili/.a,  is  a  successful  teacher. 
Twn  beautiful  am!  inteiesting  little  grandchil- 
dren cnni]ilete  the  family  circle. 


AXSO.X  II.  (iUI-,K.VM.\N. 

.\nsnn  II.  (  irecmnaii  is  ])|-nb;iblv  as  well 
kiinwii  in  I  nscnla  ,nid  its  envirniinient  as  any 
nthi-r  citizen  in  the  cnmit  v .     W  itli  the  e\ce]ilii  ui 


i>\  fnnr  years  he  has  continuously  held  the  oflice 
of  tnwnship  assessi_»r  since  the  vear  1881,  and 


138 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


is  now  a  caniliikite  fur  re-eleclioii  witlinut  op- 
positii)!!. 

.Anson  l\.  (ireennian  was  liorn  in  Noble 
conntv,  Indiana.  Xoxcniher  ii.  1S41,  and  is  a 
son  of  Anson  and  C)li\c  (  Cunninyiiani )  (ireen- 
nian. Tiie  former  was  liorn  in  Canada,  and  the 
latter  in  Oiiio.  Mr.  (ireenman,  at  an  early  age. 
at  the  death  of  his  parents,  was  houncl  out,  and 
went  through  the  hardshijjs  that  generally  be- 
fall an  (iri)han  under  similar  circumstances. 
At  the  time  of  his  country's  peril  he  \dhmleered 
his  services  in  the  Civil  war,  and  j(.>iuing  Com- 
pany B,  Eighty-fourth  Indiana,  as  a  private, 
iVugust  1,  i8f)_',  under  Captain  Ellis,  of  Mun- 
cic,  antl  Colonel  Trussler,  of  Conners\illc,  In- 
diana. He  was  four  times  wounded  and  of 
late  has  suflered  from  1  nc  wound  rece  \  cd  at  t.  e 
battle  of  Franklin.  He  also  participated  in  the 
battles  of  Resaca,  Nashville.  Tennessee,  and  .\t- 
lanta,  Georgia.  The  Eighty-fourth  Indiana 
participated  in  twenty-six  battles  and  skir- 
mishes. In  18O5,  after  being  mustered  out,  Mr. 
Cireennian  settled  on  a  fainii  in  .uscuki  town- 
shii),  and  nio\ed  intu  Tuscola  c.ty  ui  I'^hni- 
ar\-,  1891,  and  ne\er  cast  a  vr)te  any  where 
else;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Ivepublic. 

In  1866  he  was  wedded  to  Miss  Mary  E. 
Gish,  a  lady  of  line  intelligence,  who  has  borne 
him  four  children:  John  L.,  emplo_\e  ol  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  Comp.iny :  (  )lhe,  em- 
])lovee  of  the  Mt.  Pleasant  (b>wa)  Hospital 
for  the  Insane;  Dora,  wife  of  James  High- 
land, of  Champaign,  Illinois,  and  lunma,  who 
is  at  home.  Mr.  Greenman  is  a  pleasant,  genial 
gentleman,  an  ardent  Republican  and  an  active 
worker  for  the  success  of  his  party. 


W.  S.  MARTIN,  M.  D. 

William  S.  Martin,  .\1.  1)..  a  well-known 
]>h\'sician  of  Tuscula.  was  born  in  Putnam 
county,  Indiana,  .\ugusl  2.  1837.  .After  leav- 
ing the  common  schools  he  taught  school  for 
eight  years.  During  the  last  three  years  while 
teaching  school  he  stutlied  medicine  under  Doc- 
tor Price,  of  Westfield,  Illinois.  I  le  then  went 
to  New  A'ork  and  entered  the  lielle\ue  Medical 


College,  the  recngnized  leading  scln  lol  id"  the 
United  States,  taking  two  full  courses,  the  hrst 
in  1871  and  the  last  in  1877,  in  which  year  he 
was  graduated. 

His  father  was  Willi.aiu  II.  Martin,  wlm 
was  born  in  Bath  county,  Kentucky,  in  i8o(). 
and  died  in  i8<;7.  -\t  the  age  of  twenty-one 
he  located  in  rutnain  ciuuitw  Indian.H,  where 
he  resided  until  i8(io,  when  he  reiuoved  to  De- 
Witt  county,  Illinois,  and  there  remained  eight 
years,  then  removing  to  Tuscola.     Plis  life  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  139 

markeil  1)\- dec])  r(.-li,L;ii)us  seiilinient  ;iin1  hv  tlie  inc,   wlm  is  the   wile  of   I"..   A.    Link,  a  ])iaiui 

highest  sense  of  C'lirisliaii  (lutv.     When  twelve  nianufactiu'er  nt   Chicago,  and   XeUie,  wile  nf 

years  of  age  lie  nnited    witli    tlie     Methinhst  Horace    W'ortliani,    wlio    resides     in     Tnscol.-i. 

cliurch,  whose  (lisci])hne  he  li » ik  at  aU  times  as  Dr.    Martin's   rn"st    wife  died    in    iX(>4,   ,ind    in 

his  slanihird  and  rnle  of  failh.      In  aluail    I'^^-'J  iS<)C(  he  was  married  lo  Miss  i.ani'a  1'",.  Smith, 

he  was  married  lo  i'lh/aheth  Walton  1  )dls.  Will-  a  \ery  estimalile  lady  of  Tnscola. 

iam  Martin  (grandfather)  was  a  \  irginian  hy  I  )r.   Ahirtin  own^  one  ol   the  most  elegant 

])irth,    removed    to    Kentnck\\    and    thence    to  homes   in   Tnscol;!,  and   has  a   s])lendid   ollice : 

J'ntnani  coimtv,    Indiana,   where  he  died.      lie  and  also  owns  two  farms,  one  of  one  hnndred 

was   a    ministei'    in    the    Methodist    cluirch    for  and   ten   acres  adjoiinng  Tnscola,   ami   a    Irnit 

many    years.       llis    wile    was    .\l,ar\"    Cook,    of  farm    in    .Marion    county.       lie    has    ser\cd    as 

English  parentage,  and   a   relatise  of  L'aptain  ma)or  of  the  city  ,nid  is  a  nKMnher  ol  the  I'res- 

Cook.      Dr.     .Martin's    maternal     grandfather,  hylerian  cluirch.      1  )i-.   .Martin's  splenilid   intel- 

John   Dills,  who  was  a  descendant  of   Holland  lectnal    gifts,    dceiily    rooted    in    his    char.actcr, 

ancestry,  and  of  a  pi-oniinent  .-uid  early  seltle<l  shine  forth  witlionl  any  effort  on  his  ]iart  to  dis- 

famil}-  in  the  \icinit}'  of  C\Mthi;ina,  Kentucky,  play  them,   and   he  is  a  man  of   tine  peisonal 

Dr.    Martin    in    uSSj   look   a   p.  ist-gradnate  appearance    who    laxorahly    impresses   all    who 

course  at  the  Chicago  .Medical  (.  ohcge.  and  in  come  in  contact  with  him. 
iSc)5  look  a  post-gradnate  conrse  in  the  Xew 

\  ork    I 'osl  (jradtiatc    .Medical   (  ollege,   gi\  ing  

nil  ire  jirn'ticnlar  alLeiitiou  to  diseases  ol  the  n(  ise 
and  throat.  He  is  a  memher  of  tlie  .State  and 
the  .American  .Medical  Associations,  and  keejis 
himsell  thoronghl\-  in  toncli  w.tli  the  ])rogress 
and  ad\anceineiit  of  his  piofcssion.  I  )r.  Mar- 
tin ranks  high  as  a  plnsician  and  snrgeon.  His 
ollice  is  the  hest  supplied  with  insirnmenls  fiir 


1011. \'    ]■:.   koCh.KS. 


h^hn  F,.  Rogers,  of  Tuscola,  was  horn  near 
J;ickson\  die.  Moigan  county,  Illinois.  (  )ctoher 
3,  iS_^N,  and  is  a  sou  ol  John  and  Anna  I'^'aslev 

Rogers,  wlio  were  n.iti\es  o|   I\en1nck\'.      |ohn 

surgical  operations  of  an\   town  in  central   llh        , ,'  ,  ■  ,,■    ,  ,  •       i-      ,  "   1 

'  •  Rogers,    Ins    grand l.ather,    Ijorn    m    Kentucky, 

iiois.  as  well  as  hath   rodins  .and  electrical  ap-  ,-  ,,  ,        •  o      .■  ,  1    ' 

'        was  one  ol  the  earl\-  ])ioneer  li.iptist  preachers 

pliauces  for  the  successful  treatment  of  chrome      „,  „,^.  „,.i^-,,|,. ,,,, ,  ,,,■   |acksonyille.      llis  ma- 
diseases,   of   which    for   the   past    few    years   he      (^,,.„,,,  .^r.uuii.aW-v.  Joseph    Keasley,  was  proh- 


has  made  a  specialty. 

In  j8()1  he  was  united  in  marriaue  to  .Miss 


ahl\-  a  iiali\  e  of  \'irgiiiia. 

fohii    !■'..    Rogers,   with   his  rem.irkahle  en- 


Katherine  Thompson,  of   .M.anhatlau.    In, liana.  ^,,.j_,.y  .„„|   |,„-csiglil.  h.is  attained  a  prominence 

To  their  marriage  were  horn  live  children,  three  j,,  i|js  calling  lew  men  reach,  and  in  the  omi- 

daughters  and  two  s.  MIS.  the  l.itter  .lying  early  mercial   growth   and    development   of    Douglas 

in  hie.     The  daughters  are:   .Margaret,  single,  county,  as  to  its  lands,  he  stands  iun(|uely  alone, 

who  resides  at  home  with  her  lather;  Cather-  His  enterprises  iiavc  been  great  ami  have  in- 


I40 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


volved  a  stupeiKlous  amnuiit  of  money  in  ac- 
complishing tlieni ;  Init  time  has  proven  Inis 
good  judgment  and  tlie  great  good  he  lias  tlone 


the  C'Uint}-  since  he  liegun  his  work  of  dredging 
and  ilraining.  l'"or  eight  }-ears  he  has  heen  a 
resident  of  Tuscola,  and  for  twice  that  numlier 
of  years  has  Ijeen  extensixely  engaged  in  drain- 
ing the  county.  In  ilre<lging.  draining  and  re- 
gaining swamp  lands  his  contracts  extend  as 
far  south  as  New  Orleans,  where  he  has  per- 
formetl  several  contracts  with  the  state  of 
Louisiana  and  is  still  engaged  in  that  section. 
In  1859  Mr.  Rcjgers  married  .-Vngeline  .\. 
Brooker,  of  Sangamon  count}*,  Illinois,  who  is 
of  English  parentage.  They  have  ne\er  had 
any  children  of  their  own,  hut  ha\e  three 
adopted  ones.  Mr.  Rogers  is  a  Knight 
Templar  in  Masonry  and  hears  an  enxiahle 
re])utation  as  a  neighhor  and  friend,  a 
Courteous  gentleman  and  a  puhlic-spirited  citi- 
zen in  the  conimnnily  in  which  he  li\cs.  In  all 
his  relations  of  life  he  ha>  hccn  honorahle  and 
just,  scrnpulousK'  pronqit  in  meeting  his  en- 
gagements and  in  performing  his  contracts. 


^^'^JJ.\?^I  edgar  rice,  m.  d, 

.Among  the  leading  physicians  of  Tuscola 
and  Douglas  cotuity  there  have  heen  none  more 
active  and  aggressive  in  accomplishing  good 
results  in  the  practice  of  their  ])rofession  than 
Dr.  Rice.  He  was  horn  in  Clermont  county, 
Ohio,  January  23,  1803.  He  was  reared  on 
a  farm  and  attended  the  C(iuntry  schools,  after 
which  he  attended  \\'esleyan  lhii\ersity  at  Del- 
aware. Ohio,  and  subsecjuently  entered  the 
State  Uni\-ersity  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  ju  lioth 
colleges  pursuing  scientific  studies.  After  leav- 
ing college  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine, 
matriculating  at  the  Miami  Medical  College  at 
Cincinnati,  from  which  well-known  inst'tution 
he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1891.  In  the 
same  year  he  opened  an  office  at  Greenxille, 
Ohio,  but  remained  there  but  a  short  time,  com- 
ing to  Tuscola  that  year.     With  his  well-known 


ability  and  energy  for  hard  work,  it  is  u.seless 
to  state  that  he  was  not  long  in  getting  into  a 
successful  and  lucrali\  e  practice.    He  remained 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


141 


alone  in  tlio  \vi>rk  n\  his  ])r(ifessi(in  up  tn  Or- 
tohcr,  iSc)(S,  when,  his  practice  ha\in,i^'  heconie 
very  e\tensi\e.  lie  fornu'ii  a  jtartnersliip  with 
Dr.  Walter  (_'.  I'.lain.  (See  sketch  nf  Dr. 
lilain. ) 

Dr.  Rice  is  a  nieniber  nt'  llie  Cliici  .Slate 
Medical,  Miami  C'onnly  (Dhio)  .Mc(h'c;il,  ami 
the  Dongl.as  Counlv  (  illinois)  Medical  So 
cieties.  He  is  .also  a  niemher  in  l;-oo(I  st.-milinj;' 
of  the  Kni,i;hts  of  I'ythi.as  and  the  I  nifornie<l 
Rank,  KniLjhts  of  l'vthi;is,  and  h.as  heen  a  I'ep 
resent.atixe  to  the  ^r.and  Iodide  of  th.al  order 
tor  the  past  six  years;  is  also  a  niemher  of  the 
i.  ( '.  (  ).  1'.:  ;i  riemher  of  Tnscol.a  lod^e.  No. 
,^3_',  .\.  v.  i\;  .\.  .\!.:  Tiiscol.-i  Ch.-ipicr.  .\'o.  r/), 
Roy;d  ,\rch  M.'isons,  ;md  Melita  ( 'omm,indcr\', 
\o.  37,  K.  T.,  ;md  ;i  Wdodm.-ni  :  ;d>o  a  memher 
of  the  cit\-  ho.ard  of  he.altli  of  Tuscol.i,  ,-iiid  a 
memher  of  the  Mcllio.hsi  clinrch.  Dr.  Rice  is 
snrq-eon  for  the  1.  D.  iV  W  .  U.aiho.ad  Coinp.anv 
uml  local  sin\Qeon  for  the  Illinois  (/entr.il. 

I  lis  tat  her,  ( icor!.;e  W.  l\ice,  w.as  hy  cn-cnpa- 
tion  ;i  t.armer,  stock  r.aiser  and  toh.acco  i^rower, 
and  ;i  n;iti\e  of  Kentucky,  lint  reared  in  (  )hio. 
His  mother  hel'ore  her  m.arri.as^e  was  Miss  K.ate 
(i.  I'razier,  honi  m  (  )liio.  In  ]H()n  Dr.  Rice 
weilded  .Miss  S.ar.ah  1'.  Rn^l,  of  (  )liio.  To  ihem 
has  heen  horn  one  child,  M;ii\  Katherine, 
aged  se\en  vears. 


Latter  on  another  pa,L;'e ) .  which  ])artiiersliip  was 
li  irnied  l''elirn.ar\'   1 ,   i  Scj3. 

.Mr.  li.aker  w.as  horn  on  ;i  farm  in  Juniata 
comity,  l'enns\l\;mi.a,  .\pril  ij,  iS()_',  and  rc- 
maineil  on  the  l.ariii,  recei\iiij;'  the  adxantag'cs 
ot  the  common  schools  until  he  had  ;irri\'ed  at 
the  ;i;';e  of  fifteen  years,  when  he  entered  the 
eni])loy  of  the  Pennsvl\;nh,a  kailro.ad  t'om- 
]i;my  ;nid  hlled  the  |)ositions  of  telegraph  op- 
erator ;nid  ticket  clerk  ;il  dil'fereiit  ]ioints  on 
the  middle  di\ision,  on  the  m.aiii  line  ln-twcen 


S.   II.   ISAKI'.K 


.S.  11.  l'.,aker  is  ckassed  .anioiii;-  the  snccess- 
lul  .and  enter])i"isinL;  \onni;  hnsiiu'ss  men  of 
.\rtlinr.  He  is  a  nu'inher  r,f  the  well  known 
f^rain   Ih-iii   of    Maker  \-   Ciliill    (.see   sketch  of 


HarrishnriL;'  ;ind  Altonn.a.  In  iSSo  he  came 
west  ;iiid  located  in  Illinois,  ix'in.iinini;  one 
year,  when  he  returned  to  I  V'nns\  K  ,inia  .ami  re- 
eiUereil  the  ser\  ice  o|  the  I 'enn>\  1\  ,ini;i  R.ail- 
ro.ad  ('iim]i,an\  in  the  c,ip;icit\'  of  telei;r,a]>li 
o|)er;itoi-  and  ticket  cU-rk  on  the  Schinlkill 
di\'ision  at  I 'ottsti 'W  11,  .\h  iiiti^oinei  y  connt\'. 
In  18XS  he  came  li.ack  to  this  st.ate  ,and  located 
in  I'i.itt  county.  .■inil  w.is  st.iiion  .i^ent  .at  .Mil- 
mine,  on  the  W  .ah;ish  sxstt'in.  continniii!.;-  there 
np  till  tXi)j.  In  lh.it  year  he  ch.in^ed  to  the 
employ  of  the  t  .   iJv    L.    I.    Kailro.ad   t'omp.anv 


142 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


and  was  their  station  agent  at  Artliur  up  to 
his  going  into  the  grain  business  in  1895. 

In  1885  Mr.  Baker  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Alice  Dol)son,  a  daugliter  of  Robinson 
Dobson.  of  Mihnine.  To  tlieir  marriage  have 
been  born  three  chikh-en :  Fk)rence  and  S.  H. 
Baker,  Jr.,  Hving,  and  Jesse,  dead. 

S.  H.  Baker  comes  of  sturdy  Pennsyl\-ania 
Dutch  ancestry,  and  is  a  son  of  Jesse  and  Susan 
(Zeiders)  Baker.  Tiie  father  was  I)orn  in 
Montgomery  county,  near  Piiiladelphia;  the 
niotlier  in  Perry  county,  near  Liverpook  Penn- 
sylvania. His  grandfathers  were  Peter  Baker 
and  Henry  Zeiders,  who  were  members  of  old 
and  respectalile  families  of  the  Keystone  state. 

The  firm  of  Baker  &  Cahill,  who  carry  on 
business  for  themselves  as  dealers  in  grain, 
coal,  seeds  and  mill  feed,  do  an  annual  business 
of  about  fifty-one  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Baker 
is  a  member  and  secretary  of  Arthur  lodge. 
No.  825,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  is 
also  an  acti\e  memljer  and  one  of  the  oldest 
trustees  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
which  was  organip^ed  in  1894.  He  has  attained 
his  present  positimi  in  the  liusiness  world  1w 
industry  and  close  attention  to  the  details  of 
his  every  day's  work;  is  public  spirited  and  in 
favor  of  all  inipro\ements  calculated  to  benelit 
the  community  in  w  hich  he  resides. 


ELI   F.  CAM  ILL. 


Eli  r'osler  Cahill,  member  of  the  well- 
known  grain  firm  of  Baker  &  Cahill,  of  .\rthur, 
was  born  in  Mercer  ctiuntv,  Kentuckv,  October 
_'.    18^1,  and   is  a   son  of  (Iransou  and    Ellen 


((joff)  Cahill.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  in 
central  Kentucky  and  came  frnm  that  state  to 
Aloultrie  county  in  1874.  In  1894  he  and  his 
partner  succeeded  C.  A.  Davis  in  the  grain 
l)uying  business,  and  the  firm  of  Baker  & 
Cahill  is  rapidly  liecoming  one  of  the  most  im- 
])ortant  in  the  cimnty.  Mr.  Cahill  owns  one 
hundred  and  si.xty  acres  of  land  northwest  of 
Arthur,  in  Moultrie  county,  and  while  residing 
(^n  the  farm  he  served  three  years- as  highway 
cimimissioner,  was  clerk  of  the  school  board 


for  nine  years  and  for  ele\cn  years  ser\'ed  as 
school  director. 

In  1878  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mrs.  Emily  Robertson,  of  Moultrie  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  and  they  ha\-e  one  child,  Nellie. 
Mr.  Cahill  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity and  of  the  Christian  church,  and  is  a 
pleasant  and  courteous  gentleman,  well  known, 
wide-awake  and  progressive,  and  is  in  the  vigor 
of  manlioocl,  with  ])rospects  of  many  years  of 
usefulness  in  store  for  him. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


143 


D.  N.  ALVGXER. 

D.  X^.  Magnei"  is  classed  aniung-  the  relialile 
and  successful  business  men  nf  the  countv.  He 
located  at  Arthur  in  1X73.  and  lias  since  been 
identified  with  the  best  interests  of  the  village. 


a.nd  is  the  pioneer  of  Arthur  in  the  lumber,  coal 
and  cement  business. 

Our  subject  was  born  i)i  Rush  countw  Indi- 
ana, (  )ctober  30,  1X4,^,  and  is  a  son  of  Z.  H. 
and  Margaret  (.McCorkle)  Magner.  His  fa- 
tlier  is  a  native  of  Herks  countw  l'enns\l\ania, 
and  bis  mother  of  llourbon  county,  Kentuckv. 
llis  father,  who  was  boi-n  in  iSi)^,  and  die<l  in 
.August,  iS()S,  was  formerly  a  merchant  at 
I'aris,  Illinois,  llis  uMtliei- died  in  1S55,  aged 
fifty  ye;u-s.  James  .Magner  (grandfather) 
was  :i  nali\e  of  Maryland  and  a  son  of  a 
Kevolntioiiary  soldicT,  'fhe  .Magner  family, 
which  came  from  Irel.ind,  lias  resided  in  .Amer 
ica  since  about  the  year  \()^n.  James  .McCorkle 
w;is  a  X'irginian  by  birth,  emigrated  to  Ken- 
tucky as  ;i  pioneer  .-md  died  tliere.      In   iN3_:5  I  ). 


N.  Magner,  then  nine  years  old,  came  to  Paris. 
Illinois,  and  upon  the  first  call  for  troops  in 
1S61  he  volunteered  in  Com])anv  H,  .\iiitli  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  and  served  for  three  years  and 
lour  months.  He  w  ;is  wounded  at  the  battle 
ol  .Slnlob  or  Pittsburg  Landing,  was  t.aken 
prisoner  ;il  the  battle  of  Corinth.  ;ind  parlici- 
liated  in  sixty-six  engagements  during  the  war. 
for  fourteen  years  be  was  in  the  r.ailw.av  mail 
service,  on  the  Chicago  &  hlastern  Illinois  Rail- 
road ;uid  X'andalia  line.  In  iH~7,  be  started 
in  his  present  business,  but  in  1  XSo  be  sold  oin 
lo  C.  .A.  Reeves.  He  bought  tlie  business  b,-ick 
in  1X1)4.  ;uid  since  lli.at  time  has  been  carrying 
on  a  most  successful  business.  Mr.  M;igner 
h:is  been  president  .-uid  trustee  of  the  village 
111  lard.  and  is  ,a  member  of  the  (  I.  A.  R.,  I.  O.  O. 
h.  and  .M;isoiiic  fraternities. 

In  |X(,_>  he  was  wedded  to  .Miss  Mary 
Thom.  of  llillsboro,  Illinois.  i'hey  ha\e  three 
(  Inldren  luing:  iMarg.iret,  Marv  and  Ruth. 
He  and  wife  aie  members  of  the  Christian 
I  hurch  of  .\rthnr. 


COL.  W  I'.SLORM)  'f  ACt;  \RT. 

Col.  Wesford  Taggart,  a  resident  of  Tus- 
col;i.  who  I',  ,r  many  years  has  been  well  .and 
la\dr;ibly  known  tln-oiigboul  Dimglas  countw 
\\;is  born  on  a  farm  near  the  village  of  .X'asli- 
\i!le,  Urown  i-onnlx',  ln<Ii.ina,  November  17, 
1X33.  llis  father  was  C.apt.  James  'fa.ggart, 
who  scrx'ed  in  the  .Mexican  w  .ar  .as  captain  of 
Com])any  L,  of  Sen.ator  J.ames  II.  L.ane's  regi- 
ment, of  liirli.an.a,  .and  was  killed  in  the  battle  of 
I'nena  \'ist;i  in  the  yi-.ir   1X17.     Col.  'faggart's 


144 


BTOGRAPinCAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


mother  was  Jane  Wcddell,  who  was  l)oni  near 
Ih-istol,  Tennessee,  and  whose  fatlier,  Tliomas 
Weddell,  was  a  lieutenant  in  command  against 
llic  inchans  in  the  lialtle  of  I  lorseshoe  I'.end. 
Ilorida,  wliere  he  was  l<illcd.  Tlie  Colonel's 
tjrandfather.  James  Tagig^art.  was  a  native  of 
Xorth  Ireland,  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  who, 
while  vet  a  hov,  eniis^rated  to  Rockinj^ham 
county,  Virginia,  wliere  he  married  a  Miss 
I'etterson,  and  soon  thereafter  remo\cd  to  In- 


diana territor\-.  lie  tii-st  located  at  Lecsville. 
Lawrence  conntv.  thence  to  the  vicinity  of 
Nasli\ille.  where,  in  the  year  1852,  he  died, 
aged  ninety-two  years.  All  his  life  he  was  en- 
gaged in  f.arniing,  and  was  a  meniher  of  the 
United  Brethren  church. 

Col.  Wesford  Taggai't  remained  on  the  oM 
Ilrown  connt\  homoli'.ad  until  he  arri\ed  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years,  when  he  went  to 
r.loominglon.  in  the  same  slate,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  hl;icksmithing,  and  frmn  there  re 
moved  to  h'.dinshnrg,  where  he  remained  until 
1860.  lie  then  removed  to  ("harleston.  Illinois, 
tliere  conlinuing  at  his  Ir.ade  uiUil  the  hrealsing 


out  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  was  among  the 
fnst  to  \-oluntei'r  his  services,  hut  was  rejected 
from  the  h'irst  Illinois  Regiment  on  account  of 
il  being  so  quickly  e(|uip|)ed  with  the  re(|uire(l 
number  of  men.  He  at  once  commenced  to 
raise  a  company  himself,  which  he  soon  com- 
]iieted,  and  was  mustered  into  the  service  June 
r,  iSC)i,  at  St.  Loin's,  in  tien.  Seigel's  division, 
under  the  command  of  Gen.  Fremont.  He 
campaigned  through  Missouri  and  Arkansas ; 
was  in  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge;  transferred  to 
the  .Vrmy  of  the  Mississippi,  and  was  in  the 
siege  of  Corinth.  After  the  capture  of  Corinth 
he  was  transferred  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land, and  was  in  the  march  to  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky. On  his  rettn-n  he  was  in  the  attack 
on  Bragg  at  I'erryville,  thence  went  to  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  and  was  in  the  fight  against 
Cragg  at  Stone  River;  also  in  the  attack  at 
Tullahoma,  where  Bragg  was  dri\-en  across  the 
C,uml)erland  monnt.'iins,  the  Union  forces  still 
pursuing  until  the  hard  fought  battle  of  Chicka- 
uiauga,  .September  ly  and  20.  .\t  Stone  River 
Col.  Taggart  was  promoted  to  the  command 
of  bis  regiment,  and  after  the  b.attle  of  Chicka- 
niauga,  for  merit<irious  conduct,  be  was  ])ro- 
moted  to  lieutenant-colonel  of  his  regiment. 
He  was  also  in  command  at  Missionary  Ridge, 
\\  here  the  Confederate  lines  were  broken  and 
Bragg's  army  routed.  Immediately  after  this 
he  was  in  the  ft)rced  march  to  Kno.xville  to  re- 
be\e  (ien.  Burnsides.  He  was  also  in  the  battle 
ol  Uandridge,  Tennessee,  where  the  rebels  un- 
(ier  l.ongslreel  were  routed;  then  he  returned 
to  Knowille,  where  he  remained  some  time, 
when  be  joined  Sherman  at  Ringgold,  (ieorgia, 
and  ]);n  tici|iated  in  the  capture  of  Atlanta.  Im- 
medialeh-  thei-eafler  he  came  north  and  was 
muslered  out  of  the  service  at  .Springfield,  llli- 


r.rocRAriiicAL  and  tttstortcal. 


145 


nois,  Scplcmlier  5.  iS^q.  He  rctiinu-d  tt) 
Charleston,  and  injrnniar\'  n\  the  fullDwini^'  year 
renioN'ed  to  Tuscola,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. I'mni  iSr>5  ti)  1  SOS  he  was  sticcessfully 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  at  this  place, 
l.nt  in  the  latter  year  sold  his  .stock  of  goods 
and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  buggies  and 
light  wagons,  being  engaged  in  this  up  to  1876. 
when  he  was  elected  sheriff  of  Douglas  county 
on  the  Democratic  ticket.  The  county  was 
strongly  Republican,  but  it  did  not  ])re\ent  his 
re-election  in  1878.  In  iSSfi  he  was  elected  to 
the  house  of  re])rescntati\'es  from  the  district 
composed  of  Douglas.  Coles  and  Cumhcrla?id 
counties.  1  le  served  on  the  military,  penal,  elec- 
tions, .soldiers  and  or])hans'  home  couimittees. 
In  i88t  Col.  Taggart  engaged  in  the  furniture 
rmd  undertaking  business  with  A.  L.  F.lkins, 
who  has  since  died,  his  |iresen(  p.artncr  being 
Silas  R.  Williams.  Their  house  is  the  largest 
of  the  kind   in  the  CMun(\-. 

On  January  jo,  1850,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Julia  .Skinner,  of  llnmillon.  Ohio.  Tm 
them  have  been  horn  seven  children,  of  whom 
three  are  living:  Lizzie,  wife  of  .Andrew  In- 
gram, of  Tuscola;  Susati.  wife  of  II.  C.  Mor- 
ris, of  the  same  ])l;ice,  and  .Margaret,  single 
and  at  hoiue.  Col.  Taggart  was  ;i  meiubcr  of 
ihe  city  council  several  tiiues  and  takes  a  deep 
iiiterest  in  the  welt'are  of  the  cilv,  where  he  re- 
sides in  one  of  the  most  pleasant  hunu's  in  the 
ci  luntv. 


JCDCl'.J.  1).  MCKDt  )CK. 

Judge  Jiihn    I).   Murdock,  of   Murdock.   is 

a   (lesrendant    of   .Scotch-Irish    ancestry.       His 
1  0 


grand  bather,  W'illiaiu  Murdock,  left  the  north 
ol  Ireland  .and  came  to  this  country  previt)us 
to  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  in  which  he  took 
an  active  part.  .\s  far  as  is  known,  he  was 
ilic  lirst  of  the  name  in  direct  line  who  came 
to  the  new'  world,  lie  settled  in  Monmouth 
county,  New  Jersey.  (Charles  Uhlera,  nephew 
of  Judge  Murdock,  has  a  comi)lete  genealogy 
of  the  Miu'docks  in  America.)  John  Mur- 
dock's  father  was  Ijorn  in  Monmouth  countv. 
New  Jersey,  about  the  year  1775.  and  followed 
farming,  as  did  his  father.  At  the  age  of 
.aliout  twenty-one  he  emigrated  to  Butler  coun- 
ty, C)hio.     This  was  in  the  early  part  uf  the 


last  century,  ;md  he  w.as  .aiuong  the  earliest 
settlers  of  that  section.  Here  he  married  Re- 
becca Little,  who  was  also  descended  from  an 
old  New  Jersey  faiuily.  She  was  the  luother 
ol  John  I).  Murdock,  of  Murdock.  who  was 
iMirii  on  June  15,  iSiO.  Three  years  after  his 
birth  she  was  drowned.  The  sad  incident  oc- 
curred in   fording  a  small  sfream  swollen  bv 


146 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


recent   rains,   wliile   returnini;-   in   a   wagon   ti^ 
lier   home    from    Cincinn;iti. 

John  D.  ]\iurili>ck  recei\'cd  his  eihicatinn  in 
a  snl)scri])tiiin  school,  the  first  taugiit  by  a  Dr. 
Johnson,  in  llie  httle  town  of  Wa.shington, 
Wayne  connlw  Indiana.  It  was  liere  hy  close 
attention  to  liis  stmhcs  he  laid  the  foundation 
for  tlie  education  which  afterward  serve<l  as 
a  means  of  raising  him  to  a  jxisition  of  influ- 
ence in  the  community.  .After  a  residence  of 
about  six  years  in  Wayne  cmnity  he.  with  his 
father,  in  18J7,  removed  to  Tippecanoe  coun- 
ty, then  a  wild  and  unsettled  region.  He  was 
ele\en  years  old  at  this  time  and  grew  to  man- 
hood in  this  county.  The  life  of  the  family  was 
that  <d'  pioneers.  Here  he  developed  those 
qualities  of  self-reliance  which  subsequently 
entered  into  his  success  in  life.  In  March  suc- 
ceeding his  twenty-first  birthday,  he  wedded 
Miss  Martha  Morgan,  whose  ancestors  \yere 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Tennessee.  Her  father, 
Venzant  Morgan,  removed  from  Tennessee 
to  Ohio,  and  from  Ohio  to  Tippecanoe  county. 
Mr.  Murdock  after  his  marriage  removed  to 
a  rented  farm,  his  cash  capit.al  at  this  time 
consisting  of  $12,  he  owinng  one  horse  and 
buying  his  farming  inqilements  on  time.  .\ 
gocid  crop  crowned  his  labors  of  the  first  ve.ir 
and  he  was  put  on  a  better  fijoting  for  the 
second  >'ear.  In  four  }ears  he  had  accumu- 
lated money  enough  to  purchase  eighty  acres 
of  land,  which  he  did  in  Fountain  county,  In- 
diana, where  he  renunefj  with  his  wife.  He 
gained  a  pronnnent  position  in  the  count \'  and 
was  chosen   county  commissioner. 

In  January.  1854,  he  visited  lllint)is  in 
search  of  land.  He  first  came  to  Georgetown. 
X'ermilion  county,  thence  by  the  wax-  of  Hick- 
ory Grove  to  Camargo.     He  bouijht  three  hun- 


dred and  thirtyacres  of  land  at  eleven  dollars  an 
acre,  and  removed  his  family  from  Indiana  the 
tollowing  .\pril.  .\  split-log  house,  too  small 
for  the  accommodation  ni  his  family,  stood  on 
the  tract  at  the  time  of  the  purchase,  so  he 
jirepared  a  frame  house  in  Indiana,  hauled  it 
to  Douglas  count\'  and  put  it  ujion  the  premises 
ready  for  the  reception  of  his  family.  He  has 
owned  o\er  one  thousand  five  hundred  acres 
<d"  land  since  his  residence  in  Douglas  county. 
.\mong  his  neighbors  in  the  Murdock  settle- 
ment were  James  I'rewer,  Denis  Daniels, 
Ephraim  Drago,  .Anderson  Campbell,  and 
Isaac  and  Rol)ert  Carmack,  John  Jordon,  and 
Uncle  Billy  Timl)rook,  who  came  later.  On 
the  organization  of  Douglas  county  Judge 
Murdock  took  an  acti\e  interest  in  the  jjroject, 
de\otiug  both  time  and  money.  ?le  was  asso- 
ciate judge  of  the  county  for  six  years,  and 
has  held  various  townshi])  offk-es.  He  is  at 
present  trustee  and  steward  iif  the  Methodist 
lipiscopal  church.  In  1S37  he  married  Mar- 
tha Morgan,  of  Indiana.  She  died  February 
8,  l8gt.  Their  children  living  are:  Watson, 
a  farmer  and  grain  bu\er;  Nancy  Jane,  the 
widow  of  Sinclair  Helm;  Wilbur,  residing  on 
a  farm  ailjoining  Murdock;  Mrs.  Martha 
Flelm.  of  Tuscola,  and  Mrs.  Lida  Dewees,  of 
Terre  Haute.  In  i8gj  he  married  for  his  sec- 
ond wife  Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Bentley.  iicc  Campbell, 
the  former  wife  of  Dr.  Morgan  .A.  Bentley, 
who  died  in  Kankakee,  May  3,  1890.  He  was 
a  graduate  of  Jefferson  Medical  College,  of 
Philadelphia.  Mrs.  Murdock  has  two  chil- 
dren, now  living,  b\-  her  first  husband:  Nel- 
lie, wife  of  Mr.  \'an  Morgan,  and  Rev.  L.  C. 
Bentley,  who  was  born  in  1864.  and  was  grad- 
uateil  fr(.im  the  DePauw  L'ni\ersity,  at  (ireen- 
castle,   Indiana,  in    i8c)4.  and   from  the    Theo- 


BTOGRAPHICAL  AND  IIISTORTCAL 


147 


loqical   Seniiiiriry  nf  P.cKtnn.  in    iS()5,  and.  is      town,  one  year  at  Sparlansbiirg,  a]I  in  Penn- 

nn\v  |)asl<ir  (if  the  ImtsI   M.   K.  elunvli  in   I'.ra-      sylvania,   and   .me  year  at   Camart^-d,    illini)is. 

/.d,   Indiana.  After  cmnin.t;-  west  he  read  law   wrtli  the  law 

Ih-ni  <if   I'A-khart  iK:   .\hMire  at  ■|'nseola.   lUinuis. 

afterward  entering-  the  law  department  of  the 

Wesleyan    L'ni versify,    loeated    at     l!l(»iniin<;-- 

ton,  Mlinois.  and  was  qnKhiated  in  tlie  elass  of 

|()II\'    11.    fl  lAI  )\\  !(  K.  '>'■    1  1^'  '■^■turned  tu  Tusr.ila  in    1  S(;_>.  and  was 

eleeted  to  the  nfllre  of  state's  attorney,  which 
John     11.    Chadwirk,    state's    alturney    of      posilidii  he  h;is  held  ever  since.     The  lirst  law 

Dont;las   ouinty.    is   a    nati\e   of    Washin.i^ton      ■'^uil  he  e\er  tried  was  as  attornev  for  the  state. 

coinilw    I'einisylv.ania.       lie    was    reared    on    a  lie   was   nin'led    in    ni.arria.s^'e   to    Miss    I'dla 

tarni    sewn    miles    sonth    of    W.a^hini^ton.    the       K'nssell.   of  (.'hrisman,    l]|in..is.    in    |nlv.    iS()4. 

Comity  seat.      He  attended  the  country  schools      They  ha\e  two  t-hililrcn,    I'errv   .Moreland  and 

John  Russell. 

■Mr.  Chadwick  is  entirely  self  educated, 
haxin.L;  carneil  the  iiioiify  |,,  ohi.ain  his  educa- 
tion li\-  wiirkin.!.;  on  ;i  f.arm.  sellini^  hooks  and 
nia]is  ;md  teachim;-  si-ho(.l.  |  [e  has  keen  a  li.ard 
student  ah  lii-^  life.  ;md  h:i^  ohiaineil  success  l)\- 
hard  work  and  dc\oiion  to  duty.  .\s  a  pnlilic 
])roseciiloi-  Ik-  has  hi-t'ii  \er\'  snccessfiik  In 
addition  lo  hi\  oriici.il  diilies  he  h.is  ;i  j^ood 
civil    ]ir;u-tice. 


l.^U Ak'.i.   A.    DR.NKI':. 


niitil    .•ihoiit    foiirteen    years   of   a.L;e,    .nid    then  Israrl    A.    1  )i-akc.   one  of  Tnsi-oLi's   retired 

attended    school    /n     W.isliiiiqioii     I'or    .1    short  farmers,    was    lioni    iit    i'.iitler     connlv.    (  )hio, 

time.       lie   ;dso   .illended    c.ille.L^e   ;il    Waynes-  Jannary    jj;.    |S:;.|,    ,ind    is    a    son    of    .\':ilh:Mi 

hm-L;.   ;in<l    the   .'<i:iic    \',,nii.il    sclio,.l   ;it    k'.din  1 'rake,  also  ;i  n.ii  i\c  ,  ,f  the  s;nne  coiiiil  v.      Mis 

'""'"■    l'eiinsyl\;iiii;i.      lie   L',r;idii.ili-il    from   tile  iiioiher  was  .S;ir,ali  (iardner.  .'i  native  of   X'cw 

latter  institnlion   in   the  cl.iss  of  'So  .and  c;mie  Jerse\-.      .\ath:m    1  )r.-ike  emij^raletl    from   (  )lno 

west    in   the  summer  of    iSX;.      .Mr.   (  h.idwick  tr.   Nd.-^o  couiily.    Indi.-ma.   in   ;ihont    1 S :;  1 ,   ;in<l 

lan^lit  school  lor  ten  years,  wris  one  yi',-ir  prin-  in  1  S41)  loc;iied  in  (  oles  (now   Doni^ias)  coniiI\. 

cip;il  ;it    Miles  (in.ve.   two  years  ,it    1  )eiii]>sey-  in   (i.irrett    to\\nship.   where  he  |o,  ,k   up  .ihout 


148 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


tliree  hundred  acres  of  land  at  a  dnllar  and 
Iwenlv-lue  cents  an  acre.  He  resided  here 
Inr  alidUt  twenty  years.  Ijecoming  wealtliy, 
l)r  niinent  ;uid  hii^iily  respected.  He  only  re- 
cently returned  to  Vii^o  county,  and  died  in 
Terre  Haute,  March  2i),  1899,  in  tlie  eighty- 
seventli  year  of  his  life.  He  was  a  meniher  of 
the  Bajitist  clun-cli,  and  the  lirst  I'.aptist  nieet- 
1  ig  hell  in  the  county  was  held  at  his  house. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  hy  whom 
he  had  five  children,  he  was  married  to  Rhoda 
La  Foroee. 


il   on   his    father' 


arm   until   the  age  of  sixteen. 


Israel  \.  1  )raK'e  reniame 
Butler  county 
since  which  time  he  has  resided  in  wdiat  is 
now  known  as  Tuscola,  with  the  exce])tion  of 
twenty  years  in  Decatur.  Douglas  county. 
While  in  Decatur  he  ran  the  Drake  Hotel, 
which  he  owned.     .-\t  present  he  owns  one  hun- 


Nancy  (larrett.  sister  of  Caleh  and  daughter 
of  Isom  (iarrett.  The  latter  was  among  the 
\ery  first  white  settlers  in  the  township  which 
bears  his  name  ancl  he  it  was  for  whom  it  was 
named.  A  full  and  complete  .sketch  and 
portrait  of  iiim  will  he  found  elsewhere.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drake  haye  been  horn  three 
children:  Jasper,  who  resides  in  Lincoln,  and 
is  a  memlier  of  the  Masonic  and  Knights  of 
I'ylhias  fraternities:  William,  who  li\-es  at 
Milwaukee,  and  Mrs.  iMinnie  Drake  Tyler, 
who  is  one  of  Tuscola's  leading  milliners. 
Mrs.  I^rake  is  a  member  of  the  Tuscola  Presl)y- 
terian  church.  Mr.  Drake  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  his  son  William  is  one 
of  the  highest  and  brightest  Masons  in  the 
state  t>f  Wisconsin,  and  is  also  a  Knight  of 
Pythias. 


WILLIAM   ILLS. 


Wiliam  lies,  a  member  of  an  old  and  early 
settled  family  of  Kentucky,  and  at  present  one 
of  the  most  successful  farmers  in  Douglas 
count\-,  was  born  at  lies  Mills.  r.;ith  county, 
Kentucky.  December  31.  1S44.  He  is  the  .son 
of  William  lies,  a  native  of  the  same  county, 
who  was  a  son  of  Thomas  lies,  born  in  Ches- 
ter county,  Penns\l\ania.  His  grandfather 
lies  was  a  memlier  of  the  old  Kentucky  militia 
and  fought  in  man\'  battles  against  the  Indians 
in  the  \  icinity  of  Bryant's  Fort.  The  lies  ha\e 
l)een   tillers  of  the  soil   back   to   William   lies' 


dred  and  fifty  acres  of  highly  im]>rovcd   land 

in  (larrett   township  ami   a  beautiful   home  in  great-grandfather,  whi.i  was  ,-i  nati\'e  of  iMig- 

Tuscola.  land.      His    wife    was    M.ary    lies.      Mr.    lies 

in  i8c;4  be  w;is  uniteil  in  marriage  to  Miss  mother  was  Miss  J;ine  11..  a  daughter  cd'  \\  ill 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


149 


iam  !•".  (ii-nrqe.  of  M(  mti^omery  (miw  I!atli  ) 
(ouiity.  and  was  a  iiali\'c  of  Greenliricr  countv, 
X'iryinia. 

William    lies   wris   reai"e<l   in    I'.atli   cnuntv, 
and  at  his  father's  ilcath,   l-\-liniai"\-  jj.    iS4(), 


lie  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  early  age 
of  a  little  o\er  cme  year.  On  aecount  nf  the 
war.  his  eihu-ation.al  aih.antat^es  were  limiteil 
and  all  the  ])rii|)erty  heloni^iuL;^  \i>  the  faniih- 
was  swept  .awaw  llis  nidther  died  ni  1SS4. 
Ill  iX()3  he  e.-inie  tn  (  amars^n  lnwuslii]!  and 
hiiught  a  tr.net  nf  Lanil  and  resided  in  a  li  i<^- 
eahin  on  the  taini  nn  wlueh  he  nnw  li\cs.  At 
the  present  time  he  nwns  three  hnndred  ;md 
sixty-three  ;ieres  in  one  tract  and  three  hniidreil 
and  fort}'  in  annther. 

In  iS(jj  he  was  m.arried  |m  Miss  May 
Ilammett.  a  dau.s^hter  of  the  Lite  J;imes  R. 
llammett,  wlmse  sketch  is  fnuml  mi  .'mnthei" 
|i;ii;e  ni  this  wurk.  W'illi.am  lies  is  a  worthv 
exam])le  id  a  self-m;ide  man.  (  1  immeneint;' 
with  nntliinw-  t'\c-c|)t  his  nwn  indi  imil.ahle  en- 
erij\'    ;ind    ednraye.    he    li;i-~    siieeeeiU-d    in    the 


husiness  wurld  far  ;iho\-e  the  axer.at^'e  man.  lie 
is  (Jiie  cif  the  must  extensi\e  stuck  raisers  in  the 
countv.  as  well  as  one  of  the  must  pithlic-siiirit- 
ed  of  its  citizens,  l-'ur  the  past  thirteen  \'e;i,r;.s 
he  h.as  heen  jiresident  of  the  l)oii£;las  Ldimty 
I'air  .\ssoeiation.  hlling-  this  place  with  rare 
cxeetitixe  ahilitw  and  h.as  heen  connected  .with 
ii  in  one  wav  nr  aiiniher  e\"er  since  its  nr^'ani- 
zation.  Me  has  hel<l  the  office  of  supurvisorr 
of  Camaryo  townshi])  several  term.s  and  was  re- 
cently defeated  for  the  same  office  l>y  m.anipnl.a- 
tiiins  nnworthv  of  the  opposition.  In  ])olitics 
he  is  a  standi  l)emocrat,  that  kind  of  |)enioc- 
racy  which  Jefferson  l.-niiiht  and  which  is  heiiit;' 
re\'i\-ed  to-da\- h\- W  illi.am  |.  I'.rv.nn. 


LE()\".\U1)  j.  WNhyni. 

Leonard  j.  W  \etli  was  one  of  the  ])ioneers 
of  Dougl.is  coniitx'.  .'ind  a  mrm  ol  \;iried  husi- 
ness   interests,  ■  amassiiif;'    a    fortune    of    .almut 


ISO 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


liiree  liundred  tlmusand  dollars  wliile  a  resident 
nf  Doug'las  county.  He  was  of  W'elsli  ances- 
try, and  was  born  in  Wendell.  Franklin  county, 
Massaclnisetts.  January  13.  1827.  and  died  at 
his  home  at  Tuscola,  January  24,  1898.  He 
was  a  son  of  Nathan  and  Hannah  (Kellog) 
Wyeth.  '  natives  of  Massachusetts,  and  his 
grandfather  was  (lad  Wyeth.  In  1839  Mr. 
Wyeth's  parents  moved  to  Licking  county, 
Ohio,  and  eight  years  later  our  subject  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  ^leiinda  Xorth- 
wav,  a  nati\e  of  the  town  of  Sherman,  Chau- 
tauqua county.  New  York,  and  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  Hiram  and  Charlotte  (  Seagers ) 
Northway,  natives  of  Connecticut  and  Mas- 
sachusetts, respecti\'elv.  Seven  children  were 
the  result  of  this  marriage,  three  of  wiiom  at- 
tained the  age  of  maturity;  Mrs.  ( leorge  Cal- 
laway; Mary,  and  Clarence  L.,  whose  death 
preceded  his  father's  only  a  few  months. 

The  prosperity  and  growth  of  the  west 
attracted  Mr.  Wyeth.  and  in  1851  he  came  to 
Illinois  and  settled  in  Coles  county.  Here  he 
resided  until  1858  and  then  moved  to  Douglas 
county,  where  he  afterward  resided.  lUiilding 
a  small  store  r<_)om  on  Houghton  street,  just 
opp<isite  the  court  house,  he  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising with  Merrill  and  (  )li\er  I  lackctt. 
That  was  the  beginning  of  Mi-.  Wyeth's  busi- 
ness career,  a  career  winch  has  scarcely  a 
Counterpart  in  the  history  of  the  county.  The 
parlnei'>hip  with  .Merrill  and  (  )li\er  llackett 
was  dissoKed  in  1831).  and  a  new  hrm  was 
formed  with  Thomas  I).  Craddock,  of  Ch;irles- 
ton,  which  was  continued  imtil  i8f)4.  In  1859 
the  tirm  erected  a  business  room  on  the  site 
now  occupied  bv  h^iekl's  pharmacy.  This 
building  was  sold,  and  another  and  more  com- 
modious structure  was  built  on  the  site  now  oc- 


cupied by  the  Cono\-er  building.  In  1865  Mr. 
Wyeth  disposed  of  his  drv-goods  store  to  W. 
H.  Lamb  and  J.  .M.  Maris.  He  then  formed  a 
jiartnership  in  the  bankitig  business  with  Jos.  . 
(1.  and  William  I'.  Cannon  under  the  firm  name 
of  Wyeth,  Cannon  &  Co.  This  firm  remained 
in  business  until  1870,  when  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  was  organized,  Mr.  Wyeth  being 
one  of  the  promoters  of  the  institution.  He 
was  a  director  from  the  organization  of  the 
Lank  until  within  a  few  weeks  of  his  death. 
In  October,  1872,  when  W.  P.  Cannon  retired 
from  the  ])residenc\'  of  the  First  National,  Mr. 
W'veth  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy,  winch 
he  did  until  January,  1873,  when  H.  T.  C'ara- 
way  was  elected.  In  1873  Mr.  W'\eth  bought 
the  ( larrett  farm  of  eight  himdred  acres  in 
( iarrett  township.  He  mo\-ed  on  that  farm 
in  1873.  biit  returned  to  the  city  in  the  fall  of 
1878.  taking  up  his  residence  in  the  house  on 
F.ast  Scott  street  which  was  afterward  his 
home.  .\t  one  time  he  li\ed  in  a  house  that 
w;is  erected  on  the  site  of  the  W  amsley  gro- 
cerv  store.  Later  he  built  a  residence  just 
east  of  the  M.  E.  church,  which  he  sold  to  the 
late  Thomas  E.  Macoughtr}-.  Mr.  Wyeth 
also  built  the  house  now   occupied  by  Farmer 

Cox. 

Mr.  Wyeth  was  the  largest  property  holder 
in  Douglas  couiUv.  He  amassed  a  fortune  of 
$300,000,  represented  by  three  thousand  acres 
of  land  located  in  this  county,  $30,000  in  bank 
slock,  $7,000  to  $8  000  in  go\'ernment  bonds, 
besides  jiersonal  property.  In  1893,  during  a 
severe  attack  of  illness.  Air.  Wyeth  made  a 
dixision  of  his  wealth,  disposing  of  the  greater 
]iart  of  his  ])ropertv.  The  will  that  was  e.xe- 
cuted  at  that  time  was  revoked.  The  latter 
part  of  December.    i8()7.  Afr.   W^'eth  made  a 


BIOGRArillCAL  AND   HISTORICAL 


151 


m-w  (lixision  of  his  property.  Tlie  (Ii\ision 
wa;,  about  equal  between  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
George  Callaway,  and  daughter-in-law.  Mrs. 
Lizzie  \\'\eth.  He  executed  deeds  to  them 
conveying  what  property  he  liad  allotted  to  each 
one.  To  Dr.  Callaway  he  transferred  his  one 
hundred  and  ninety  shares  of  stock  in  the 
First  National  Bank.  This  will  w  hich  was  ex- 
ecuted at  this  time  bequeaths  only  the  prop- 
erty which  his  wife  was  to  have,  consisting  of 
the  iiomesteail.  seven  or  eight  thousand  dol- 
lars in  government  bonds,  and  his  hank  account 
and  other  i)ersonal  property.  .\11  this  pn>i)erty 
was  gi\en  to  her  .ibsolutel)'  uilliinit  any  re- 
striction whate\er.  Mr,  \\  yctli  h.is  four 
brothers  and  one  sister  li\ing,  .S.imuel,  Albert 
am!  llMnias,  of  Coles  county,  josciih  .S.,  of 
(iarrett,  and  Mrs.  Cofer,  of  Areola.  This 
town  ,it  th;U  time  welcomed  every  newcomer, 
I\lr.  W'yeth.  at  the  \  ery  start  of  his  business 
life,  was  .as  bold  in  his  purpose  as  in  lonn  were 
the  hills  on  his  falhcr's  f.nin  in  the  slate  of 
Massachusetts.  Success  in  honi  Table  business 
w;is  the  cml  he  sought,  and  thai  end  w;is  at- 
tained b\  wise  foresight,  inst  me.ins.  uiillag- 
ging  endeaxiir  am!  nninipcach.ilile  cb.ar.acter. 
(  )ut  of  respect  ti  <  Mi.  W  \  fib.  all  >  if  the  business 
bouses  were  closed  dni'ing  the  hour  of  his 
funeral. 


J  AMI'S  MORROW. 

J.imes  Morriiw.  i'\k-  <<i  the  well  known  cit- 
izens of  Newman,  and  w  In  1  has  led  an  acti\e 
and  successful  business  life.  w;is  born  in  lirown 
county,  Ohio,  .\o\ember  3,  iS:;.',  and  is  de- 
scendeil    from   English   and    Irish   progenitors. 


He  is  a  son  of  J.ames  and  Le\ina  (Drake) 
Morrow,  who  were  n;iti\es  of  R.rowii  county, 
Ohio,  His  grandfather  and  grandmother  on 
his  father's  side  were  born  in  li"eland.  and  mar- 
ried in  Brown  ciiunty,  Ohio.  His  maternal 
granilfather  and  grandmother  (the  latter  Miss 
\\'eathers])oon )  were  respectively  born  in  Eng- 
land and  America.  James  Morrow  remained 
oil  a  l.'irni  in  Brown  count\  until  he  had  arrived 
at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  during  which  time 
he  attended  schools  three  months  free  and  three 


mmitlis  pai<l  fur.  In  iS^j  he  migv.-iled  to 
Moiilgiiniery  county,  bnli.ana,  and  here  for 
Some  lime  wdi'ked  ;is  ;i  i-dininiin  da\'  l.aborei'. 
In  1S34  he  came  to  lllimiis,  locating  in  (  liam- 
|)aign  Count  \.  wliere  lu'  li''Uglit  ;nid  Incated  on 
eighty  ;ici-es  nf  land  two  miles  snnth  of 
I'rb.ana,  wlieie  be  rem.iined  Imv  .about  fnur 
ye;irs.  1  le  then  remo\fd  In  h'dg.ir  conntw  ;m<l 
bougbl  .and  located  on  ;i  l.arni  fnur  nnles  east 
III  .Xewni.ni,  where  be  I'esided  np  tn  iXdj.  In 
tb.it  \e,ir  1k'  enlisleil  in  t'ompan\'  I'.,  Twelfth 
Illinois    Infantrw   and   Lacked   but   a   lew   days 


15: 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


of  being  in  active  service  tln"ce  years.  He 
served  as  a  ])rivale  and  first  belonged  to  the 
left  wing  of  Ihe  Sixteentli  Army  Corps  until 
after  the  Atlanta  campaign,  when  he  was 
transferi'ed  lo  (he  h'ifteenth  Arni\-  C'urps  under 
(ien.  Logan.  .Mr.  Mnrrdw  was  never  wounded 
or  sick  in  all  of  his  acti\e  ser\'ice  during  the 
war.  .After  the  final  surrender  he  returned  to 
the  larm  and  in  iNy^  came  to  Newman,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  numliered  among  her 
liest  citizens.  Jn  18^4  lie  rented  out  his  farms 
and  since  that  time  has  been  practically  retired 
from  business  cares.  Mr.  Marrow  owns  two 
hundred  and  i'orty  acres  of  land  in  Edgar 
county  and  si.K  acres  within  the  corporaticjii 
of  Newman.  Mrs.  Marrow,  his  wife,  owns 
tour  hundre(l  .and  ninet^■-si.\  acres  of  land  in 
Illinois,  one  Innidred  .and  twent\'-si.\  acres  one 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  Newm.an,  lifty  acres 
ne;n"  the  cor])or;ition  line  of  Newm.an,  and  one 
half-section   in    h'dg.ar  county. 

Mr.  Marrow  has  been  twice  marrie<l.  the 
first  lime  to  Aliss  Lawhead,  in  1S60.  .After 
iier  death  he  married  his  present  wife.  Rachel 
Fisher,  who  was  l)orn  in  Inthana.  a  daughter  of 
L^aniel  Fisher,  who  followed  farming,  and 
died  in  Champiaign  count}-.  To  his  first  mar- 
riage he  has  three  children  living,  and  by  his 
second  wife  he  has  one  chil\l.  George,  who  re- 
sides in  Burlington.  Vermont,  and  is  superin- 
tendent of  the  anti-li(|uor  league  of  \^ermont. 
The  otiier  cliildren  are:  II.  L.,  \V.  B.  and 
Edgar  D.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marrow  are  con- 
sistent memliers  of  the  Cuml)er!;md  Presby- 
terian church.  He  is  a  public-spirited  citizen, 
is  jilain  .and  unassuming,  yet  dignified  in  .ap- 
pearance, and  has  won  a  comi)etency  and  an 
honor.able  position  by  honesty,  correct  business 
melhculs,  anil  a  due  reari.1   for  his  fellowmen. 


WILLI. \AI  F.  MURPHY. 

William  F.  Murphy,  one  of  the  wealthy 
retired  citizens  of  Tuscola,  was  born  in  Ohio, 
Janu.ary  <),  oSji.  His  great-great-grandfather 
came  from  Ireland  and  settled  in  Maryland, 
in  which  stale  his  falhei',  Wilson  Murphy,  was 
born  in  1  7S7 ;  he  ser\-ed  as  a  soldier  in  the  war 
ol  iSij.  In  1N13.  witli  his  wife,  who  was 
Nancy  .Slaughter,  he  remo\ed  to  Ross  county, 
Ohio. 

Willi.'im  F.  Murphy  was  reared  r)n  the 
harm  ;md  attended  school  aljout  two  mouths  in 


the  \eai'.  remaining  on  his  f.ather's  f.arm  until 
he  hail  .-n'riNed  ;it  age.  when  he  \\i  irked  ou  the 
larm  al  si.\  doll;irs  and  twenty  li\e  cents  to 
lifleen  dollars  per  month,  .and  in  1839  came 
to  Illinois.  subse(|uently  x'isiting  in  Douglas 
county,  then  a  part  of  Coles.  He  was  favor- 
.ably  im])ressed  with  the  country  and  deter- 
mined to  settle  here.  Therel'ore  he  returned  in 
1847  ;ind  l)egau  life  here  with  two  hundred 
tlollars  in  money,  a  wagon  antl  three  horses. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


'53 


He  seized  the  firsl  l"av<.ra1)le  Mppurtiniity  to  ^et  JA.\H':S   R.    HAMMKTT. 
])o,ssession  uf  land  and   in    julw    iX^o,  hougiit 

one   liundre.l   an.l    sixtv   acres',,!    sdi,,<.l    land  .'•""^'■^    \<^dvAu\    ilannnett    was    ,lescende<I 

and  about   eii^htv  acres  of  tnnl.cr   in   Sar-ent  ''■■'""   ''■'^''  ■'"^^^I'T.  '"^  i^ran.lfatl.er,   Riclianl 

t,,\vnship.  i,avin-  f-.r  it  six  Innulred  an<i   f,,rtv  "•'"""^'t'-    ''•ivin.i;    l.een    a    native    ,.f    C.iinty 


dollars.     Since  that   time  he  li;is  heen  dealiuir 


("ork.  li'elaiiil.     1  leie  the  1  laninu'tts  ri'siijed  for 


extensively  in  real  estate  and  ,s  at  present  ,me      ''  '""-  ^"''""^  "'   ''"'^-      '-^'^■''•"''    '  l^'"""^'".  as 


1 
,l    llie    wealthiest    men    in    this    cmntw       Vi>v 


lar  as  l<n,i\\n.  ha,l  live  i'lnl,lren.  f,,nr  s,)ns  an,l 
manv  vears  he  was  en-a-e,l  m  haiikin-  at  ""^'  'l^tiL^htcr.  all  , -f  u  h,  ,n,  at  dilTerent  pen- ,ds 
Newman,    succeclin-    Z.    S.    I'ratl.       lie    n,.w      ^■"^'-'•"^■'1  '"  Anienca. 

owns  about  .,ne  th,,nsan,l    f,un-  hnn.lred  acres  -'"'"'•  "'^'  '''"'ler  ,  ,f  James  R.  1  lammett.  was 

of  valuable  lan,l  m  the  cnnty.  an,l  three  bun-      "'^'   ''"'"'    '"  '"''''-'■      "^'  ^"•""^'   ^"  ^'"^   O'UuU-y 
dred    and    thirtyli\e    acres    in    jasper    countv. 
Indiana. 

lie  has  been  three  times  marricl  :  I'irst 
1,1  .Miss  .\del;a  11.  Smith,  a  nat'vc  ,>f  Ken- 
tucky, this  marria'^e  nccun-luL;'  |a!mar\-  15. 
iS-)5.  His  sccoml  wile  was  Al'ss  Rebecca  J. 
.\Ia,M,ix,  of  (.)hio.  After  her  de.itli  he  mar- 
ried .Miss  Julia  I 'a.L;e.  of  .\'e\\  \',,rk,  who  is  a 
lad_\-  ,  ,|  line  literal  \'  ace,  iinprshments  and  pr,  ,111- 
inent  in  church  w ,  I'k,  in  iSiji  he  removed  to 
Tuscola,  w  hei'c  he  ami  his  wife  resiile  in  one 
,d  the  cityV  m<,>i  beautiful  residences,  sur- 
r,,nuded  by  .ill  the  comf,!ris  i,f  life.  'I'Ih'  only 
oltices  Mr.  .Mnrphv  has  e\ei'  held  were  town- 
ship snper\isi,r.  au,l  trustee  a]ipi,iule,|  b\  the 
!.;o\ernor  t,,  buil,l  ihe  ;is\lnm  foi'  the  insane  at 
Kankakee. 

William  \\  Murphy  has  thn  ,u,l;1i, -ut  his  life  when  ,1  _\oun,L;  m.iii  ami  settlcl  in  .M,  ,ii1,l;,  ,inery 
been  ;i  slu'ewd  business  man.  ;ui,l  his  success  county,  \'ir,i;ini;i.  and  there  marricl  Diana 
has  been  the  result  ol  his  ,,\\u  efforts.  1  )uriut;  (iai'ilnei-,  a  nali\e  ,if  the  <  11,1  l)i,miui,in  ;md  ,if 
the  ('i\il  war  he  larj;ely  .assisted  in  lilliui^'  the  Irish  descent.  The  tliiee  y.iuu^er  brothers 
(|Uota  ,il  his  t,iwiisliip  under  l're>i,lent  Liu-  came  t,  >  America  at  a  later  peri,  nl  and  likewise 
coin's  dill'erenl  calls  f,ir  tro,,ps.  His  life  has  .setlleil  in  \'ir,!.;ini;i.  (  )ue  ,if  them,  William 
been  one  ot  action  and  his  acciuunl.alions  of  ll.immett.  became  a  .Metlioilist  preaclK'r  .■iml 
this  w,)rl(rs  oil,  )ds  liaxe  been  the  result  of  econ-  ab,,ut  1  ,'^,vs  he  retnrne,l  to  his  old  h,imi'  in  Ire- 
oiiiy  and  close  attenti.  Ill  to  business.  laml.    where    his    lab,irs    as    an    exangehst    al- 


154 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


tracted  large  crov\cI.s  of  people.  He  resumed 
])reachiiig  on  his  return  to  America  and  settled 
in  Mississippi.  Suhsecpiently  he  was  elected 
to  congress  frnm  the  X'icksburg  district  and 
after  leaving  congress  he  continued  to  preach. 
.As  an  orator  he  was  of  a  high  order.  Of  the 
other  brothers,  Richard  Hammett  was  a  man 
of  great  energy  and  \ersatile  talents.  The 
greater  ]5art  of  his  life  after  his  arri\al  in 
.America  was  spent  in  Mississippi,  wiiere  he 
was  a  prominent  pdlitician  and  for  a  time  editor 
of  the  \'icksl)urg  Whig. 

Douglas  ciiunt\'  had  perhaps  few  men  who 
ha\e  lived  on  its  prairie  soil  for  three  score  and 
four  years,  and  whose  labors  have  contributed 
so  largely  to  the  dexelopment  of  its  resources 
and  whcise  life  has  been  mure  upright  and  ex- 
emplary than  the  late  James  R.  Hammett.  who 
was  born  in  Montgomery  count}'.  X'irginia, 
Januarv  i,  i8j6,  iind  who  tlied  August  ii, 
1896.  in  the  se\enty-first  year  of  his  age.  His 
parents  rcmii\ed  from  \'irginia  to  Bourljim 
county.  Kentucky,  and  in  the  fall  of  1830  came 
to  Illinois,  halting  at  sunset  one  e\-ening  almost 
on  the  s])ot  where  he  si)cnt  sixty-four  years  of 
his  life.  The  farm  consisted  of  eight  hundred 
acres  lying  just  north  i>f  Camargo.  which  was 
then  in  Park  county,  the  udrthern  limits  of 
which  at  that  time  extended  U>  Wisconsin.  The 
liardshi]>s  of  the  early  piimeer  (inl\'  served  to 
call  tii|-lli  all  the  energ\-  and  entei'prise  of  Mr. 
Hammett,  and  his  success  was  due  ti>  his  un- 
tiring industry  and  financial  ability,  which 
placed  him  ami>ng  the  leailing  financiers  of  this 
county. 

In  1854  Mr.  Hammett  was  married  to  Miss 
barah  C'.  W'atsun.  who  was  born  in  l'\)untain 
county,  Indiana,  julv  4,  i83(),  a  daughter  of 
William   D.  and   Mary   (Low)    Watson.     Her 


father  was  born  in  the  neighborhood  of  Vin- 
cennes  and  her  mother  in  Mailison.  To  James 
k.  Hammett  and  wife  were  l)orn  ten  children, 
fi:)ur  of  whom  are  now  li\ing:  Mrs.  William 
lies,  of  Carmargo;  F.  W.,  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Tuscola;  Richard  and  Roy, 
both  farmers  of  Carmargo.  Politically.  Mr. 
Hammett  early  attached  himself  to  the  Whig 
))art}-.  and  upon  the  birth  of  the  Republican 
party,  inheriting  his  father's  dislike  of  slavery, 
he  became  comiected  with  that  party  and  very 
generall)-  supjiorted  its  candidates,  as  he  gave 
an  enthusiastic  adherence  to  its  ])rinciples. 

Mr.  Hammett  was  connected  with  the  de- 
velopment of  the  railroads  in  this  county  and 
took  an  acti\e  part  in  the  building  of  the  Illi- 
nois Centi'al  Kailwav.  He  \-isited  Springfield 
and  was  influential  in  (ibtaining  the  charter 
from  the  Legislature.  In  the  original  bill 
granting  charter  rights  he  was  named  as  one  of 
the  incorporators  and  su1)se(|uentl\-  became  a 
menilier  of  the  board  of  directors.  He  was  re- 
elected se\'eral  times  and  filled  the  office  for 
Iwehe  years.  When  the  First  National  Bank 
was  organized,  in  1870,  he  became  a  stock- 
holder and  in  1873  ^^'^^  elected  director,  filling 
this  place  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was 
one  of  the  ablest  financiers  of  the  county  and 
was  worth  alxiut  one  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars,  owning  about  two  thousand  acres 
of  land.  Mr.  Hammett  was  not  a  member  of 
any  church,  but  practiced  Christianity  in  his 
e\ery-day  life.  It  is  not  ti^i  be  wondered  that 
the  people  revered  him.  because  his  sympathetic 
and  generous  heart  was  always  responsive  to 
every  touch  of  distress  and  he  was  ever  ready 
to  extend  a  helping  hand  to  his  fellow  man. 
It  ma_\-  well  be  said  of  him  that  he  has  made 
the  world  Ijctter  by  ha\ing  li\ed,  and  his  life  is 


BlOGRAriilCAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


155 


;i  true  illustration  m|"  tlic   I'act  that   iIk-  line  of      r.css  with  James  Barr,  of  Newman,  he  has  al- 
(luly  is  alike  the  path  of  safely  and  the  way  of      ways  heen  engaged  in  farming, 
honor.  '"    '"^''S  "i"'  sul>jeel  was  wedded   to   Miss 

X'irginia   C.    W'oltz,   a   daughter   of  John   and 

Svduev   (llalhert)    W'oltz,  natives  of  Virginia. 

JMr.  Summers  and  wife  have  no  cliildren.     He 

....  .  .  .  ,.  ...    c|'A|-\|ppc  is  a  memher  and  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 

Christian  Scientist  church  of  .\ewman,  and 
William  'riiom.is  Snnnners,  of  .Xewman,  i--  a  firm  l)elie\er  in  its  principles.  .Mr.  Sum- 
came  from  Sangam.  >n  county.  I  llinoiv,  to  New-  mers  has  just  comi)leted  a  fine  residence  in 
man  townshi]>  in  1S77,  ,ind  located  on  ,1  I'arm  .\ewman  at  a  cost  of  o\er  li\c  thousand  dollars, 
seven  miles  northwest  of  the  \illage.  lie  was  ,ind  it  ranks  with  the  most  elegant  homes  in  the 
born  near  .\ugusta.  T.racken  county.  Kentucky,  county.  He  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
six  acres  of  land,  two  hundreil  and  six  acres 
King  southwest  of  Xewman  and  one  hundretl 
anil  twentv  .acres  one  mile  and  a  half  north- 
west. He  is  a  memher  of  the  I.  ().  ().  I'",  and 
.Masonic  fraternities.  .Mr.  Summers  has,  e\er 
since  his  residence  in  Douglas  county,  heen 
iilentilicd  with  the  county's  hest  interests, 
pi-(  igrc^s  and  de\  eli  ipment.  ;md  r.anks  ami  mg  its 
hest  ami  most  progressive  men. 


MOSiiS  S.  S.\H  111. 


Moses   .S.    Snnlh.    the   genial   and    talented 

M;iy   15.   1S43,  ;md  is  ,a  son  of  Lewis  .and  h'Jiz-  editoi-  ot"  the   Xewin.in    Independent,  was  horn 

,-iheth    (  Thrclkeld  )    Summers,    who    were    na-  July   \>).   1  S<  m).  ;i  son  of  Ceorge  W.  Smith,  .and 

li\es  of  the  s.anie  connt\.  hoth  heing  mcmhers  w.as  raised  at    Xewman.  the  place  ot   his  hirth. 

of  |)ioneer  families  of  th.at  section.      I  lis  grand-  In  iSSj  he  .ami  his  hrother.  A.  I'..,  who  hail  heen 

lather,  Thomas  Summers,  was  , a  n.ative  of  \'ir-  connected   with   the  mechanical  dep.artment  of 

ginia,  and   was  a  soldici'  in  the   .Mexican   war.  the     lnde])eudeut,    ])urch;ised     the    pa])er,   suc- 

W'.   T.   Summers   was   reared   in    Kentucky  ceeding  C.   \'.   Walls,  who  renioxeil  to  .\|-eola, 

;uicl  came  to  S.anganion  countw  Illinois,  when  a  where  he  editeil  the  Areola  Kecoril  lor  a  time. 

sm.all  hoy.      With  the  exception  of  two  years,  It  has  n<iw  heen  twenty-six  ye.ars  since  the  first 

during  which  time  he  was  associated  in  hiisi-  eoj)y  of  the  Xewinan   liidejiendenl  was  issued. 


156 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Duriiii;-  all  these  years  I  lie  Independent  has 
tried  tn  climnicle  all  the  events  of  interest 
lians])irin!4-  in  the  town  and  \icinity,  as  well 
its  a  synopsis  of  those  oeenrrenees  in  adjoining 


assistant  editor.  In  1R84  he  again  leased  it 
to  A.  B.  Snnth.  his  fcircnian,  while  he  went  to 
Paris  and  todk  charge  of  the  Paris  Beacon. 
1\I.  S.  Smith,  since  he  has  succeeded  to  the  en- 
tire contnil  (if  the  paper,  has  added  materially 
t'l  its  mechanical  completeness  hy  the  purchase 
ol  two  new  job  ))resses,  also  a  new  four-horse 
power  gasoline  engine,  and  i>n  Ajiril  i,  1900, 
the  paper  came  out  in  an  entire  new  dress,  and 
is  now  one  of  the  cleanest  and  newsiest  local 
newspapers  in  Illinois. 

Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  t  > 
Miss  Isahelle  lv",t,  a  daughter  of  D.  O. 
Root,  of  Xewman.  They  have  two  chMdreu, 
Hughes  Blake  and  Harriet  FJizalteth.  Mose 
Smith,  as  he  is  generally  known  hy  his  frientls. 
is  one  of  the  mo.st  accommodating  and  agree- 
able gentlemen  fiuiiid  in  the  county,  and  in 
business  is  an  all-round  hustler. 


towns,  the  state  and  nation.  It  has  striven  to 
represent  the  best  interests  of  the  c(.)mmunity 
and  assist  as  much  as  possible  towards  build- 
ing up  tlie  town.  The  efforts  of  Mr.  Smith 
have  not  been  in  vain,  ])roof  of  which  is  the 
large  and  increasing  circulation  of  the  paper. 
The  p;iper  has  grown  from  a  puny  inlant  to 
strong  ;md  well  developed  manhood,  owing 
largely  to  the  generous  patronage  gi\en  it  by 
the  progressis'e  business  men  of  the  town  and 
county.  'J'he  Newman  Independent  was  tn-st 
instituted  in  .\pril,  iSj^v  by  Cicero  V.  Walls, 
lie  experimentally  comluctcd  it  for  six  months 
and  then  suspended  it  for  ;i  year,  when  he  re- 
sumed its  pulilication.  In  1  SSj-.S^  the  paper 
was  leased  to  C'arl  H.  Uhlcr  I'or  about  ;i  year, 
during  Mr.  Wall's  absence  from  Xewman.  On 
his  return  he  again  assumed  control  with  John 
W.  King,  who  was  postmaster  at  the  time,  as 


WIXFIELD  S.   REED. 

Winlirld  Scott  Reed,  a  prominent  ami  in- 
telligent farmer  of  Areola  township,  was  born 
in  I'nion  countw  Indiana,  May  13.  1S51.  and 
is  a  son  of  John  T.  Reed.  The  latter  was  a  na 
tive  of  llutler  county,  ( )hio,  and  emigrated  to 
Douglas  countv  and  settled  in  Tuscola  township 
ir,  ii<(}.i.  -He  moved  to  Areola  townshij)  in 
i8()7  and  there  resided  up  to  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  March,  1891,  in  the  seventy-first 
year  of  his  age.  His  wife  was  .\nn  Walters, 
who  was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsyl- 
\aui,i.  in  i8j(i,  .and  mo\ed  with  her  parents  to 
liutlcr  county,  Ohio,  in  i8j<i;  she  is  now  in 
the  seventy-fourth  year  of  her  age,     John  T. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


157 


Reed  was  a  renter  when  he  first  eaine  In  the  1 'einisyKania.  I  U'|-  falhef  dieil  in  iXjj,  a,t;-e(l 
Ciinnty,  hnt  in  iSfjj  hv  lnuiLihl  the  hirni  where  se\  ent\'-eit;lit  Ncars.  i  le  was  in  the  war  of 
Iiis  Sdii.  W.  S.   Reeil,  nnw    resides,      lie  was  a       iSij.      Mis  I'atlier.   I  h'nr\-  Watson,  came  fr.  mi 

luiijiand.  Mr.  Keed  is  a  nieniliei'  (<\  tlie  Nhi- 
simic  Iraternitw  ( "ourt  nf  Ihiiinr  ami  tlic 
W  I  iii(hneii. 


LEMin-.L  CIIANDLRI^:. 

I.einnel  (  'handler,  nf  i'.i  airhnn,  is  one  of  tlie 
"Idest  and  must  inii\  ers.ilK  res]>ected  citizens 
in  the  eiiniil)-.  1  \v  \\;is  hi  irn  within  tln'ei'  miles 
ol  ( '\  iitlii.ina,  llarrisnn  ciunil\',  l\enlni'k"\'. 
.\n.L;-nst  _:;(),  1SJ4,  a  si  mi  of  Israel  and  l.\'ili,a 
((iri'well)  ('liandler,  whn  were  hdii  in  (he 
I'lhie    (  ir.ass"    re^i'ins    i>t     Kentuckv.       Israel 

lailiir  h\  Ir.ade,  hul  i|nit  that  .ami  wi-nl  1(1  farm-      (  li.andler   emi;;r,lt^•d    fmni    Kentiu-ky    to   (  ler- 

inj;'.      W.    .'^.    Reed    owns   .ineh.alf   of   tlie   old 

luiiiiestead    lariii,   which  cmit.ains  ..ne  hnnilred 

and  twenty  Iwn  and  a  h.df  .acrt's.      I  le  h.is  lu'en 

a   sueeesslnl    larnu'r,   jiri  i^ii'ssix  e   in   his   ideas. 

.and  I  iw  lis  a  ln'.anti  fill  Ik  iiiie. 

I''ehruary  J-\.   1N73,  he  w.is  in.irrieil  td  Miss 

Nclh'e  Watsmi,  ;i  (kmi^hler  of    Idmnias  W.itscin, 

ot    Clark   Cdiinly.       They    h.i\c   three  I'lnldren: 

Ollie.  wife  nf  A.   \\  ri-lit  ;   Di.r.a   .\l.  and  Jnhii 

C     Thiini.is  Wats.  .11  was  ,1  ii,iti\c  (.f  h'rederick 

enmity.  \'irL;ima,  wliere  he  w:is  Imrn  in  flcln- 

her.   171)4.  ami  w;is  married  In  .'^iis.n  111:1    rimni 

as.  in   iX_>|.     Td  them  were  hnni  Iwn  snns  and 

one  daiii;hter.      llis  wife  died   in    lS_:;_'.  ;md   he 

w;is  ni.arried  the  sec'iid  time,  in    1N.1-I,  and  re- 

iiio\-ed   In  (  )hin   in    iX]~.   residint;    in    h'.iirlield 

cniinly  until  (  Jctnhcr,    1S31,   wlu-n   he  e.ime  to      niont  connl\   in   1 N,^  1  .and  remained  tliert'se\en 

Rlinois.        Mrs.     Reed's     innthcr     was     N'ancv      \'ears.   when    he  came   In    1  )oni;las  connt\'   and 

I'raiikliii.    wlm     was     hniii     near     <  ireencaslle,      Incated  in   Rnnrhmi  tn\\nshi]i.  sellliii.L;nn  what 


/•^ 

>^ 

^^ 

^^Hlit"'^,^ '"' 

M 

^^^^^^ 

fl 

1^^ 

158 


BIOGRAFIIICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


is  now  known  as  the  old  Chandler  homestead, 
u])on  whieh  William  (."handler  now  resides 
(see  his  sketeh).  .h'hn  Chandler  (grand- 
father), a  Quaker  in  his  religious  helief,  emi 
grated  from  Chester  county,  Pennsylvanin,  to 
Kentucky  and  settled  in  Harrison  county  in 
about  the  year  1791,  the  year  preceding  Ken- 
tucky's admission  into  the  union.  John  Gre- 
well  (maternal  grandfather)  married  a  Miss 
Temple,  a  native  of  Delaware,  and  settled  near 
the  Chandlers  in  Kentucky. 

Lemuel  Chandler  was  reared  to  manhood 
in  the  neiglil)orhood  in  which  he  has  always 
resided.  For  that  day  he  received  a  very  good 
education,  attended  the  Paris  .Academy  and 
later  taught  school  in  the  Bourhon  neighbor- 
ho(jd.  1  le  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office, 
in  the  usual  acceptation  of  that  term,  but  he 
has  held  the  office  of  supervisor  of  his  town- 
ship. 

In  1849  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs. 
Prudence  W.  Bacon,  a  native  nf  Hampshire 
countv,  \'irginia,  and  a  daughter  of  Roliert 
and  Fdizal>eth  Beavers,  the  former  born  in  the 
slate  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  latter  in  Baltimore, 
Maryland.  Td  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chandler  have 
been  born  six  children;  John,  who  is  a  farmer 
and  resides  in  P>ourbon  towushii);  William, 
whose  sketch  is  found  elsewhere:  Beatrice,  wife 
of  Dell  Henry,  of  Hastings.  Nebraska;  Lydia 
Belle:  Gertrude,  wife  of  Clifford  Jones,  who  re- 
sides in  the  edge  of  the  village  of  jjnurbon: 
and  Ernest  M.  Chandler,  i*n  the  live  sti>ck  com- 
mission bnsiness  at  Peoria,  Illinois.  Mr. 
Chandler  is  a  member  and  deacon  of  the  Baptist 
church,  of  which  church  his  wife  is  .also  a  mem- 
ber. Mr.  Chandler  owns  two  hundred  and 
si.xty  acres  of  land  in  Areola  township  and  live 
lumdred  and   furtv  in   Bourbon  township. 


O.  V.  MYERS. 

O.  V.  Myers,  a  grain  buyer  at  McCown's 
Station,  and  one  of  the  wheel  horses  of  the 
Douglas  county  Democracy,  was  born  in  Ed- 
gar countv,  Illinois,  March  13,  1863.  He  is  a 
son  of  William  Myers,  who  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky  and  who  1)ecame  an  early  settler  of 
Edgar  county.  His  mother  was  Eliza  Size- 
more,  a  daughter  id"  IMartin  Sizemore,  who 
was  also  born  in  Edgar  county. 


Mr.  Myers  grew  u].)  on  the  farm  and  re- 
ceived the  aiK'antages  of  a  giiiiil  cummnn  school 
education,  .md  also  attended  the  high  .school 
at  Paris.  I''i>r  the  past  ten  years  he  has  lived 
1  m  his  farm  nf  une  hundred  and  twent\'  acres, 
.-iliMul  nue  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Xewnum. 
His  fn-m  li.-nidles  about  one  hundred  and  lifty 
thiiusand  bn.^hels  ni  grain  annually.  In  the  re- 
cent Democratic  jirimary  of  Douglas  county  he 
leceivcd  the  endorsement  for  state  senator  01 
the  district  comjiosed  of  1  )ouglas.  Coles  ;md 
Shelbv  counties.      In    i8i)8  he  was  the  Demo- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL 


IS9 


cratic  nominee  for  tlie  office  of  county  treas- 
urer of  Douglas  county.  On  March  4,  1S8''), 
lie  was  wedded  to  Miss  Alice  I^^tes,  of  Edgar 
county.  They  have  seven  children:  Edna. 
Harry,  Don,  Charlie,  Laura,  Edwin  and  Nellie. 

David  Meyers  (grandfather)  was  a  native 
(if  Kentucky.  Our  subject's  maternal  gr.anu- 
father,  Martin  Si/emnre,  was  a  Xnrtli  Caro- 
linian li\-  liirtli  and  served  in  the  I'.lack  I  lawk 
and  .Mexican  w.ars. 

(  ).  \  .  M\ers  is  a  y  'ung  man  1  if  gi  n  "1  ahility, 
and  there  is  little  dunht  shcmld  he  he  elected  to 
represent  this  senalnrial  district  ihat  the  hest 
interests  of  the  jienple  will  he  carelully  and 
ahlv  looked  after. 


In  iiSSj  iinr  suhject  was  married  to  Miss 
Nelly  Ryan,  a  native  nf  Will  cnuntv.  Illinois. 
They  ha\e  li\e  children:  Maggie,  Ceorge, 
Kittie,  Maud  and  I'.anl.  Mr.  Dowry's  husiness 
interests  at  F.airland  are  graduallv  extending, 
and  he  is  becoming  to  lie  recognized  as  one  of 


JOHN  LO\\RY. 

Jiihn  I.iiwrv.  ime  nf  the  ])riimising  voung 
husiness  men  nf  h'airland,  where  he  has  been 
extensi\'ely  engaged  in  Inning  grain  since  i8</i, 
was  born  in  the  ccmnl)  >>\  Tii)])erary,  Ireland, 
in  185X,  a  sun  nf  jcilui  and  .M.irgaret  i  Nukin  ) 
l.<iwry,  whci  were  b(ini  in  the  same  cnuntv. 
His  father  settled  in  ('ham])aign  ciinnt\-  1  mi  a 
farm  in  the  vicinity  of  h'airland  ni  1X71,  ami 
was  engaged  in  farming  up  to  the  lime  of  his 
death,  in  1874. 

John  Lowr}-  was  reared  and  educated  in  the 
country  and  was  engaged  in  f.armingup  to  the 
time  he  became  engaged  in  his  jiresent  business, 
then  becoming  .a  member  nf  the  linn  nf  Lnwry 
&  Hanson.  They  buy  ku  an  a\'er;ige  almut  live 
hundred  tlmusand  bushels  nf  c<irn  ;m(.l  nats  ;ni- 
nnally.  He  is  nnw  building  a  new  elevator  and 
mal<ing  nther  imprn\ements  in  cnnnectii.iu  with 
his  business. 


the  \  illage's  nmst  successful  business  men.  1  Ir 
nwns  line  hundred  and  si\l\-  acres  n|  land  I  w  1 1 
nnles  and  a  ijuarter  iii  irlh  nl  tnw  u,  1  me  hundred, 
and  si\l\  .acres  m  I'.dwards  i-nuiU\,  K.ins.is, 
and  sexer.tl  Imnses  m  the  \ill:ige.  Me  is  ]inlilic 
spinleil  and  geueralh  lends  .1  helping  h.iuil  In 
any  cause  nr  enterprise  whub  is  iiilendeil  In 
add  tn  the  matei'i.al,  mnr;d  and  sneial  inleresis 
of  I'airland. 


j.\iMi-:.s  \\.  ii.\.\C(x;k. 

James  W.  Tlancnck-,  edilnf  and  fnuii<lei'  ni 
the  .Xewinaii  K'ecnnl,  w.as  Imrn  in  (  bamp.iigu 
cnnnly.  (  )hin,  August  iS,  |S_:;().  The  famiU' 
Irnni  which  be  is  descended  is  i>i  k'.ii'jlisb  nri- 


i6o 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


o'in  aii<l  fur  in;iiiy  years  resided  in  Patrick 
ciiunty.  \'ii-L;inia.  His  grandfather.  Major 
Ilanciick-.  was  Ixini  in  this  county  in  March. 
179J.  He  married  Mrs.  Ehzalieth  Adams, 
wliose  maiden  name  was  Fuson,  also  a  native 
of  Patrick  county.  Directly  after  their  mar- 
riage, in  1812,  they  emigrated  to  Ohio  and  set- 
tled in  Champaign  county.  Their  journey  from 
Virginia  was  made  on  horsehack,  and  when 
they  arri\-ed  they  found  themselves  ]>ioneers 
in  the  wilderness. 


Our  subject's  father.  W'ilHam  Hancock,  was 
horn  in  (  )hici.  l'"cl)i-uar\-  10,  iSkj,  and  sjient  the 
early  pari  id'  hi^  life  in  that  state.  He  grew  lo 
manhiiMil  mi  tlie  l;u'm.  altending  school  ])art  of 
the  time,  .iml  ,il  tlie  age  nf  nineteen  vears  and 
seven  innuths  lie  was  niarrieil  in  .Susanna  Stier, 
who  was  Imrn  in  ()liiii.  Imt  helnnged  to  a  Vir- 
ginia huuily.  1  lis  m.arriage  occurred  Septem- 
ber lO,  iS:5X,  ;ind  soon  .afterward  he  eiuigrated 
til  llliuiiis,  Cuming  lo  the  neighl)i  irhoml  nf 
ihnishy  h'urk.  wliere  he  rented  l;nid  nf  a  .Mr. 
CotTey.     In  1843  he  enlered  furtv  acres  of  land 


near  the  Pleasant  Gro\-e  chiu'ch,  and  a  shnrt 
time  afterwar<l  hought  an  additional  forty 
acres.  He  remained  on  this  land  initil  1845 
and  then  rented  a  farm  a  mile  west  of  New- 
man, where  he  resided  for  two  years.  After 
occupying  Col.  Hopkins'  farm,  southwest  of 
Newman,  he,  in  1849,  hought  of  the  go\-ern- 
nient  eighty  acres  and  removed  onto  the  land  in 
Decemher,  1850.  Tracts  he  added  later  com- 
Ijriscd  several  hundred  acres.  He  died  in 
1892.  He  was  in  jjolitics  a  \\  hig  and  later  a 
Rcpnlilican,  an<l  was  a  delegate  to  the  con\en- 
tion  which  nominated  Gov.  Oglcshy.  He  was 
hrst  elected  justice  of  the  i)eace  at  Camargo  in 
1847.  He  was  a  niemher  of  the  first  hoard  of 
comity  oflicers  for  Oouglas  county,  and  filled 
the  offices  of  treasurer  and  assessor.  ( )n  the 
establishment  of  tlie  state  board  for  the  e(|uali- 
zation  I  if  assessments,  in  i8()7.  he  was  aiiijoint- 
cd  ;i  member  from  the  ninth  congressional  dis- 
trict, composed  of  the  counties  of  Coles,  Doug- 
las, Cham])aign,  X'ermilion,  Iro(|uois  and  Ford. 
In  i8f)8  he  was  elected  b\'  the  ]ieople  in  the  same 
district  til  the  same  office  for  a  term  of  four 
years.  Cornelius  Stier.  fatlier  of  .Susanna 
Stier,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  and  was 
for  five  years  in  the  regular  arm\-.  He  was 
reared  near  Paltimore.  Major  Hancock,  above 
mentioned,  was  a  minister  in  the  New  Light 
Christian  church. 

James  W.  Ihancnck  attended  the  ordinary 
schools  in  the  neigliborhoi  id  of  Pirushy  h'ork, 
residing  with  his  father  on  the  farm.  He  fol- 
lowed farming  and  teaching  school  up  to  the 
time  he  located  in  Newman  in  1861,  and  from 
1.874  to  1870  was  cashier  of  the  Newman  Bank. 
He  w;is  niarrieil  .\|)ril  n.  i8tio.  to  Miss  .Amy 
.Shute,  ;uid  to  their  marri.age  lia\e  ])eeii  born 
six  children:     William    [..,   Lulu   I'.,  Isaac  L., 


BTOGRAPI-IICAL   AND   IirSTORICAL. 


i6i 


James   P.,    Howard    I,,   ami    I'.\citII    1  [.      Mr.  In   1X30  lie  was  iinilc(|  in  niarrias;e  to  Miss 

llanrork.in   iSi)(),   fonmlod  llu'  W'wnian   Rec-      I  \  a,  a  ilaiiL^litcr  of  ( 'nrni'lins  i  lopkins,  ulio  was 

onl,   an    inck-pcink'nl    newspaper,    wliieh    lias   a      I'lie  ol'  llie  t'arliest    selllers  (if   X'ewnian   town- 

circulati<in  of  alioiit  six  liundri'il.      j-'roni    iS<)3      sln'i).     To  llieir  man  ia.i^e  were  liorn  twelve  eliil- 

to  iSc/)  he  serxed  as  poliec  manislrate  of  Xew        <li"eii,     of     whom     hnl     se\en     snr\i\e,    \iz.  : 

mail.     He  owns  two  hundred  aeres  of  land  in      .Marion;  Cora  Ann.  who  is  the  wife  of  .'-laninel 

Newman  townshi]).  hesides  town  propt'itx'.    ( )n      Johnson,  cf  \\t-si  l\id<,;e;  I'annia  Alice;  i\osetta 

Deeeniher  4,   iSi)S,  he,  iiwon  jinu-tioii  witli  W.       l'>iella;    Jd.i     Lncreti.a;    W'ilev    Shernian    and 

T.    Summers,    W.    i ).    (  ioldman,    .S.    ( '.    1  licks      llarrismi    .SxKester.      In    iSdj    Mr.    Hawkins 

and   Mesdames  (ioldm.an.    .Merlin    and    X'ance,      \  1  ilnntei'red  in  the  same  company  in   Xewnian 

organized  the  l"ii-s|  chmili  o|  (hia'st.  Scientist,      ;is  his  hrother,  S.amnel,  hnl  he  did  not  meet  the 

of  Newman,  Illinois.  s;mie    f.ile  ;it   the   lir>l    d,i\\  hatlle  ,as   iliil    his 

hroiher  .S;iniiiel  ;il  ( 'liick,amaut;"a.     In  all  he  w.as 

out  three  years  and  h.i>  scarcely  seen  a  well  d.a\' 

since.      Mr.   I  Law  kins'  wife  died   l)ecenilier   :;(), 

|X()(),  in  the  li  lly-se\ cnlli  vvav  of  her  aL;e,  and 

m  Ihe  l.ill  ol   iSi)4  lie  rcmo\ed  f|-om  the  f.arni  to 

Newm.an.      I  lis   wife   w.as  <a  <ianL;hler  of  C'or- 

1      ,1  I  111-  ,1       ,  ■■    a  lu'lins   ilo])kins,  w  h. .  w.as  horn   Mav   10,    iXiS. 

hrotliers,   and   an   ex  soldier  ol    the  (  nil    w.ar,  '  .'        ■  • 

■  ■■        ■     .1      ,  .-v.  •  ,■  r      .and    who    wedded    U.ichel    I'',    .\lhiii:    hotli    are 

residim;-  in  the  town  ol   .\ewin;m.  is  .a  ii.alixa'  ot 

hnried  .at  the  \\  eskw  ('h.a])el.      lAvoof  his  sons, 
Jeremi.ah  .and  (  ieori^e,  were  soldiers  in  the  war 

oil  he  kcliclhi  111. 


JOIJX  II  XWlxiNS. 
ilin    ll.iwkins.    .another    of    the    ll.iwkins 


'^SSSf'  IC!|. 


V 


CI. AKh'.XCd".  ]..  \\A  I'  Til. 

( 'l.areiua-  I ,.  W  \  etii.  the  ( Mih  son  of  .Mr.  .and 

Mrs.  I,.   |.  WAetli.  w.is  horn  in    I'nscol.a   |iil\-  JJ. 

iXOo.  .and   dii'd    .Septt'iiiher  7.    iXi),^.      ilis  hoy- 

liiii'd   d.i\s  weri'  ]>.i^sei|   in   this  (a'l\    .and  on   his 

lather's   f.arni  he  developed   into  ni.anhood.      In 

iXXj  he  w.as  niiited  in  in.iiri,i!;e  to  .Miss  l.i/zie 

.\lwell.  of  .\twiiod.      Se\  en  cliililren   weia-  the 

i'ickaway   county.    ()liii>.    wheia-   lu'    w.as    Imrn      result  1 'f  this  union,  w  ho  tos^elher  with  the  wi  fe 

-X'o\emher  30.   iXjX  (  ha'  ;iiicestr\   see  sketches      h,i\e  suffered  sui'li  ;m  irre]i.ir.ilile  loss. 

of  Samuel  and   (.  M.  Ikawkius).  Mr.    WAeth    w.is  one  of  the  hesl    rinanci.al 

11       " 


i6: 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


nianaoers  in  the  cininty.  I  le  jiossessed  remark - 
al)le  liirsiness  sagacity  and  his  great  lirain  tDrce 
wntild  have  l)een  felt  in  ci>niniercia!  centers  had 


he  been  tlirnwn  among  tlie  foremost  financiers 
of  the  countr}-.  At  the  time  of  his  deatii  he  was 
probably  wiirth  one  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
and  the  futui"e  willi  all  of  its  possibilities  and 
opportunities  was  bel'ore  him. 


MARTIN  RICE. 


cidents  which  marked  the  early  frontier  life, 
when  the  present  Commonwealth  of  Kentucky 
formed  a  county  of  Virginia.  He  was  born  in 
Virginia,  and  about  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Revolutionary  war  resided  in  Kentucky.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  second  wife  was  Sarah 
Bryant,  she  being  a  member  of  the  family 
which  gave  the  name  to  the  fort  known  us 
Bryant's  Station,  celel)rated  in  the  annals  of 
the  early  history  of  Kentucky.  Charles  Rice 
took  part  with  Daniel  Bcjone  in  the  adsentures 
which  have  made  historic  the  home  of  the  early 
pioneers.  He  bought  of  Boone  a  tract  of  land 
in  what  is  now  Fayette  county,  and  settled 
there.  Boone  subsequently  lost  nearly  all  of  his 
estates  in  Kentucky  through  his  carelessness  in 
neglecting  to  record  and  prove  his  title,  and 
among  the  tracts  wdiich  changed  ownership  in 
consequence  was  the  one  occupied  by  Charles 
Rice.      One   thonsan<l   and    six   hundred   acres 


Martin  Rice, who  was,  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  in  1883,  prominently  identified  with  the 
interests  and  growth  of  the  county,  came  to 
Illinois  in  1849,  '"''•'  t*-"  what  is  now  Camargo 
township  in  1853.  He  was  descended  from  old 
Virginia  and  Kentucky  families,  and  his  grand- 
father, Charles  Rice,  was  a  [Moneer  in  the  were  sul)se(|uenth"  confirmed  to  Boone,  and  of 
wilderness  of  Kentucky,  a  crmipanion  of  Daniel  this,  in  compensation  foi-  his  loss,  he  gave  Rice 
Boone,  and   a  particip:nit   in   the   romantic   in-      a   portion  lying  within   the  presents  limits  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  ,63 


Madison  county,  anil  here  Cliaiies  Rice  lived  nized  as  one  of  tlie  leaders  in  tlie  coniniunity. 
to  the  close  of  his  eventful  life.  He  had  borne  He  was  deeply  interested  in  the  formation  of 
the  hardships  and  dangers  of  frontier  life,  had  Dougias  county,  and  did  all  in  his  ijowcr  to 
been  thnnigh  tlie  memorable  siege  of  Hryanl's  m;ike  the  measure  a  success,  there  being  con 
Station,  and  taken  part  in  many  other  contlicts  siderableopposition  at  the  time  in  some  sections 
with  the  Intlians  of  that  day.  in  Coles  county,  from  which  the  territory  was 

Martin  Rice  was  born  in  Madison  county,      taken.     After  the  new  county   was  oroanized 
Kentucky,   July    2S,    iS_>j.      He   was   l)rought      hv  was  a  member  of  the  lirst  political  conven- 

up  on   his    father's   farm,   where   he   remained  lion   ever  held   in   it.      The  con\ention,   which 

until    after    reaching    his    majority.      lie    at-  l^laced  in  nomination  the  crmdidates  chosen  as 

tended  sub.scri]ition  .school,  which   was  id'  the  the  lirst  lioard  of  county  oflicers,  was  held  in 

rudest   character,    but   he   diligently    improved  a  temiior;n-y  board  shantv  on  the  farm  of  Col. 

his  time  and  formed  the  foundation  for  a  sound,  McCarty,  tun  and  :i  li.-ilf  miles  east  of  Tu.scolri. 
practical   business  education.      In   the  summer       '"he  men  composing  the  ticket  were  nominated 

he  .spent  the  time  working  on  the  farm,  and  on  and  elected  irrespective  of  jiarty.     In  iStxj,  the 

November    16,    ^H^^,.    he    married    Mary    .\nu  second   year  .at'tcr  the  lownsbi])  organizations 

Adams,  who  was  a  native  of  the  same  town  in  v.ere  eiTecled.  Mr.  K'ice  w.as  elected  the  lirst  su- 

Kentucky,     .\fier  his  marriage  Mr.   Rice  todk  I'ervisor  of  Cani;irgo  townshi]).  and  re-elected 

up  his   residence  on   a    farm  belonging  |o  Ins  iii   ii^7,v   1X74  and   1X75.     1  le  also  look  a  ileep 

father,    where   he   Ii\eil    for  abont    four   ye.ars.  interest    in    the  cause  of   the  common   schools. 

when  he  removed  to  Illinois.     This  was  in  No-  li'  the  early  day  be  \v;is  :i  Whig  in  jiolitics,  and 

vember,     1X40.       fie    settled    in    Coles    county,  ''.'i^l  bis  lirst  \ole  for  Henry  e'l.ay,  .ami  later  be- 

nine  miles  east  of  Ch.irleston.      I  le  ])urch.ised  came    a    KN'pnblic.an.       Mis    first    wife   dieil    in 

one    hundred    ami    sixty    acres    of    Kami,    upon  iXO().      I  lis  second  m.arri.age  occurred  (  Ictober 

which  he  lived   lor   fonr  ye.ars.      lie  foinid  this  -.=i.    fXji.  1,,  .M.ary  J.ane  C.ir.iw.av,  a   native  of 

tract   to,i  sm.all   to  suit   the  jil.ans  .according  to  N'irgini.i,   ;in<I    whose    f.ather"s    f.amily   came   to 

which    he    i)rop(ised    to    carry    on    .-igricnltnr.al  \  crmilion  c,  .inity  from  f  b;il  sl.atc  in   iX:;4.     (  )f 

operations,  s..  in   the   fall  of    1S3:;   be  ilisposed  '"^    ■^''-    cbifli-en.    three    .are    living:       baigrnc. 

01  his  Kami  in  Coles  connty  ;ni(l  remo\i:-,l  farther  .iose]ihiiie    (  ikivv    Mi's.   (',.,((,   ,,\     TtiM-Mlai,   .ui.l 

north.      The  ]il;ice  in   which  he  settled   is  now  Martin,  who  resides  on  ji.art  of  the  old  honie- 

the  home  o|   bis  son.   luigene.      l.aml  here  vv.as  '^'cad  in  (  ani.argo  townshi]). 
cheaper,  the  location  better  ,and  the  soil  richer 

tllan  on  bis   former  farm.     The  neighborhood  

had  but  few  residences.     There  were  some  set- 
tlements in  the  m^igbborhood  ..f  C.aniargo.  but 

with  one  excejition  no  improvement   bad   been  '''    '''    '  "*  *''^" '''^^^''^• 

n.a.Ie    for    e,ght    nnles    west    nntd    the    tnnber  R.    U.   Tbon.pson.  one  of  the  nu.s,   hnspi,- 

l-rdern,g  on  the  ()kaw  was  reacbe.I.     As  the  able  and   clever  gentlen.en   ni   the  co,„,tv    was 

-■untry    settled    np    Mr.     K,ce    becnne    recog-  b„rn  n,   IMgar  cnntv.   Ilhno.s,   Mav    >  '    \h^7 


1 64 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  E.  Thompson,  who  was 
a  native  of  Scotland.  His  mother  was  Eliza- 
hetli   SimpsDH.  liefore  her  marriage,  and  was 


born  in  England,  and  married  in  Frederict<s- 
Lurg,  A'irginia.  To  them  eiglit  children  were 
born,  of  whom  only  three  are  li\ing,  one  in 
Kansas  and  the  others  in  Oklalnima. 

Mr.  ThompsdU  \\as  reared  on  the  farm  andi 
has  alwa_vs  been  engaged  in  that  occnpation. 
In  1858  he  was  nnited  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lncy 
Hardwick.  To  this  marriage  were  born  three 
children:  George  D.;  H.  \'. :  and  Lenie,  who 
died  when  ten  months  old.  Mrs.  Thompson 
died  in  iSoj;.  She  was  born  in  Kentncky.  In 
1864  Mr.  Thom])son  married  for  his  seci.md 
wife  Miss  Sallie  A.  Lain,  who  was  born  in  Lin- 
coln connt\-,  in  the  same  state.  Mr.  Thompson 
has  been  a  consistent  memlier  of  the  iMethodist 
I'piscopal  church  at  Murdock  and  other  places 
for  forty  \-ears.  in  1898  he  was  the  Democratic 
nominee  for  the  ofbce  of  shcrifl,  but  the  Repub- 
lican majority  was  t(.io  strong  for  him,  and  he 


was  defeated  by  a  majority  of  five  hundred  and 
forty-one  votes. 

John  Simpst)n,  his  maternal  grandfather, 
was  a  native  of  England  and  emigrated  to  Vir- 
ginia, thence  to  Illinois,  .and  died  in  Edgar 
county. 


E.  C.  EINNEY. 


E.  C.  Finnev.  a  retired  grain  merchant  and 
one  of  the  supervisors  of  Tuscola  tinvnship, 
was  born  near  the  village  of  Annapolis,  Park 
county,  Indiana,  April  4,  1S36.  Erom  1869 
tti  1 89 1  he  was  e-\tensi\ely  engaged  in  the  grain 
business  at  Tuscola,  but  in  the  latter  year  he 
sold  his  interest  to  his  partner,  Charles  L. 
McMasters.  His  father  was  Robert  Finnev, 
who  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  who 


emigrated  to  Indiana  in  the  year  1844.     Robert 
was  a  son  of  Joseph  Finney,  who  came  to  this 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


165 


ciiuiitrv  in  its  earlv  histnry  and  particiiiatccl  in 
nianv  of  tlie  coiillicts  fur  liherty.  His  niotlier, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Malinda  Hunt,  was  a 
daughter  of  Nathan  I  hint :  she  was  liorn  in 
North  Carolina  anti  mo\ed  to  Indiana  when 
1)ut  a  child.  Rohert  Finney  died  in  Indiana 
in  1861.  in  the  fifty- fourth  year  of  his  age.  and 
his  mother  in  Tuscola.  Illinois,  Octoher  16. 
1S07,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-one  years. 
Mr.  I<""inney  has  heen  identified  wuh  the 
husiness  interests  of  Tuscola  since  i(S()8  and  is 
an  upright  and  universally  resi^ected  citizen. 
He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


D.  F.  COYKEXDALL. 

D.  F.  Coykendall.  wlmse  death  occurred  in 
I'hicagii,  December  i().  iSi^j.  was  l)cirn  near 
I'.nrshy  l~ork  .Sc])teinber  S.  1850.  at  a  time 
when  the  comUx'  \\,is  m  its  ])rinnti\e  state,  and 
was  there  reared  to  manhndd.  lie  was  a  son 
of  Benjamin  V.  (  1  ixkcuilall.  whuse  ancestors 
were  in  all  ]inibabilil\'  .amnng  the  emigrants 
friini  lliilland  who  in  an  early  day  settled  in 
.\'e\v  (ersev,  the  descendants  ot  whum  m  iw 
ciimprise  some  of  the  best  families  ol  that  state. 
William,  the  father  of  I'.enj.amin  1'".  t'oyken- 
(l;ill,  was  biiiMi  in  lh;it  stale  and  m;n'ried  Mary 
\'an  /.iekiel,  w  In  ise  f;iniil\-  had  spiung  Irmn  the 
same  stock.  r>eni;miin  \\  C'nvkend.all  was  burn 
in  Tompkins  count\-.  New  ^'clrk,  near  the 
tiiwn  of  Ithaca.  *  )n  reaching  hi>  majinitv  he 
came  west  and  lucaled  in  W  i'-i'i  msin,  and  in 
1847  sold  out  Ins  priipeii\-  m  Wiscnusm  and 
located  in  what  i>  nnw   Dnuulas  cnuntw  where 


he  lixed  for  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Two 
I 'I  his  Sons.  Cyrus  A.  and  Mar\  in  A.  w  ere  in  the 
war.  both  ha\ing  enlisted  Ijefore  they  were 
Iwenty-cine.  The  death  of  Benjamin  F.  Coy- 
kendall occurred  in  the  spring  of  1889. 

On  November  14,  187S,  D.  F.  Coykendall 
was  married  to  Miss  Francis  E.  Cash,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  J.  Cash,  of  Newman. 
To  this  marriage  was  born  one  child,  a  dauyli- 
ter.  Lenoria.     Fcir  two  years  liefore  Mr.  Coy- 


kendall reniMxed  to  (/luc.ago  he  resided  in  New- 
in;m.  while  his  lile  ]ire\ious  had  been  s])ent  on 
the  l;n'm  near  llrnsln-  b'ork.  .'\fter  his  re- 
m(i\al  111  ('hicagii  he  liecame  associated  in  busi- 
ness with  Iwn  lirms,  the  ("olumbia  M.annfacl- 
tning  iV  ,Sup]il\-  (iimpain-  and  jnhn  Ibisbury 
i,\  (  1  iinp.any.  li\e  stuck  ci  immissii  m  merchants. 
He  was  piissessed  nt  nmre  than  nrdinarv  busi- 
ness ability,  cumbiiR-d  with  genuine  integritv 
;uid  uprightness,  and  w.is  \ei'v  liighlv  res])ected 
by  .ill  wilh  whiiiM  he  had  dealings.  lie  was 
de\iiteil  til  his  l.amd\-  and  his  de.ith  was  a  great 
loss  til  both  wife  and  daui;hter.     He  was  buried 


1 66 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


in  tlie  Newman  cemetery.  He  was  a  member 
ol  tlie  Ma.sonic  fraternity,  Init  was  not  a  mem- 
ber of  any  clunch.  He  always  did  his  part 
willingly  in  suiiportintj;-  the  clnnxh  and  at- 
tended the  same. 


VV.  p.   BOYD. 


W  .  I'.  Biiyd,  who  was  for  many  years  a 
pniminenl  drni^\<:;ist  and  chemist  of  Areola, 
was  liMiu  in  h^leniinj^shur^,  Kentncky,  Jannarv 
C).  1)^47.  and  was  a  sun  uf  Wilsim  1'.  and  Susan 


K.  I'oyd.  His  father  was  a  prominent  lawyer 
and  served  in  IkjIIi  hrrniches  of  the  Kentucky 
Legislature. 

\V.  I'.  Buytl  received  his  early  education 
at  the  old  Bethel  school  in  Kentucky,  and  sub- 
se(|nently  attended  the  university  at  Blooming- 
ton,  Illinois.     Jn  1875  '^^  ^'^^^  married  to  Miss 


Emma  Wyatt  Hamilton,  of  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky, a  step-daughter  of  .'Me.xander  Hamil- 
ton (her  real  ])arents  being  Edward,  and  Annie 
(  Smith  )  Wyatt,  natives  of  England).  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Boyd  were  born  four  children, 
namely:  William  IL,  deceased,  Wyatt,  Anna 
M.  and  Wilson  P. 

In  1867  Mr.  Boyd  commenced  the  drug 
business  for  himself  in  .Areola  and  until  1884 
had  the  only  exclusive  drug  store  in  the  county. 
He  was  a  successful  business  man  and  re- 
mained in  charge  of  the  store  until  a  few  weeks 
before  his  death,  November  17,  i8<jy,  when  he 
disposed  of  it  to  .\.  Magnusson.  He  was  one 
(d"  the  lirst  movers  in  the  state  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  suitable  legislation  for  the  elevation  of 
the  drug  trade  in  the  state.  He  was  an  active 
worker  in  the  Illinois  1 'harniaceutial  Society, 
and  was  president  of  that  body  one  year  and  a 
tlelegate  to  the  national  convention  in  1884. 
Never  in  all  her  history  has  .\rcola  known  a 
more  public  spirite<l  man,  a  better  leader  in 
e\er\'  progressive  nio\enient.  or  a  truer  sym- 
patlii/er  in  e\ery  just  and  noble  cause.  He 
held  nianv  positions  of  trust  and  honor,  such 
as  member  of  the  school  board,  alderman, 
chief  of  the  hre  department,  and  chairm.-m 
of  the  board  of  superxisors.  In  oftices  he  re- 
garded the  trust  and  the  duties  devolving  upon 
him  as  .sacred,  and  acted  accordingly.  In  pol- 
itics he  was  a  Democrat,  and  he  served  his 
Ijarty  faithfully  and  conscientiously. 

He  was  a  member  of  several  lodges,  but 
allied  his  interests  more  closely  with  the  Ma- 
sons that  any  other  order.  The  poor  and 
needy  have  lost  a  true  friend,  and  one  from 
whom  they  had  learneil  to  expect  sympathy 
■Aud  ,iiil.  Never  a  Chri.stmas  passed  by  but 
that  every    poor    family    received    something 


BIOGRAPHICAL   AND   HISTORICAL. 


167 


fnini  Iiini,  ami  liis  cliaritv  was  not  confined  to 
Areola  alone,  hut  reached  for  miles  around, 
lie  was  a  lo\er  of  children,  and  tlie  child 
learned  to  exjiect  some  token  of  remcmhrance 
from  him.  nor  was  it  e\er  disapiiointed.  His 
life  fmnishes  us  many  expressions  oi  good 
which  show  the  real  character  of  the  man. 
His  life  was  made  up  of  little  things  well  and 
faithfully  performed.  But  after  all  it  is  the 
little  things  that  give  us  the  true  inde.x  to  the 
real  character  of  the  man.  His  home  rela 
lions  were  the  most  pleasant,  aii<l  he  remained 
true  and  devoted  to  his  home  liresiile  and 
altar  until  the  clo.se  of  his  career.  The  town 
has  lost  a  foremost  man,  the  lodges  a  faithtul 
memlier.  the  home  a  true  hea<l.  the  jiodr  a 
sure  and  helping  hand,  and  the  world  one  ol 
her  noblest  men. 


J    r.  \\(  H  iLl-'OKl). 

|.  r.  W'ooUdrd.  niei'chant  ;md  gi'ain  Imyer 
at  (i.ihoii  and  one  of  the  most  snccessfnl  Imsi- 
ness  men  in  the  ciunly.  was  horn  in  lUiller 
conntw  <  )liio.  Felirn.ary  iS.  1N35.  I  lis  parents 
were  Daniel  and  l^lizahelh  (  lichert  )  Won] ford, 
wln)  were  nati\es  of  the  same  county.  His 
grandfather  L-chert  was  horn  in  West  Virginia, 
and  in  about  iSi_>  rcmo\x'd  to  I'lUtler  coinUy. 
( )hio.      Mis  patern;il  grandfather,  j.ncob  W  ool- 


.Since  iS<),i  J-  I^-  \\'i>olfoi-d  has  resided  at 
(lalton.  and  was  lirst  engaged  in  grain  buying 
for  K.  vV  |.  irvin,  of  Tuscola,  succeeding  M. 
S.  bilson  at  this  place.  In  1S94  he  built  an 
ele\ato|-  dl  twenty  thousand  bushels  ca])acitv 
and  has  since  I'ecome  one  ol  the  most  successful 
grain  dealers  in  the  counts-. 

In  1X70  Mr.  Woolford  was  united  in  mar- 
riage \o  IMiss  Carrie  Kelso,  wlio  resided  one 
nnle  Sduth  of  ArcoLa,  and  is  a  ilaughter  of 
W'illiaiu  Kelso,  wlin  is  now    li\ing  in  Ta/ewell 


county,  this  st.ate.  They  ha\'e  three  children  : 
Koscoe  M.,  .\lfrcd  j.  and  Samuel  M..  all  at 
home  with  llK'ii"  p.ircnts.  I'^>r  the  past  lour 
veai's  .\lr.  Woolfdid  has  been  buying  grain  to,- 
himself,  and  in  connection  does  a  general  mer- 
ford,  was  l)orn  at  Lancaster,  I'etuisylvania,  and  chandising  business.  He  bu_\s  aboiU  one  hun- 
nioNcd  from  there  to  I'lUtler  county,  Ohio,  dred  thousands  Inishels  of  grain  amuially.  In 
Daniel  Woolford  came  to  (bis  coinit\' in  March,  political  opinion  he  is  a  stanch  l\e]>nblican,  but 
iXfK),  and  located  on  a  farm  two  miles  from  his  wife  is  a  Deiuocrat  and  is  the  ]>ostniistress 
.Areola.  of  the  \i11agc. 


i68 


DlUGKArillCAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


RICHARD  C.  HAMMETT. 
Uiclianl  Civile  llammcU.  the  secrmd  son  of 
lames  U.  ilaninietl,  wiiose  sketeli  and  iM.itrait 
are  fduiul  nu  annther  page,  was  born  on  the  nM 


Hammett  homestead  in  Camargo  township, 
Septemher  9,  1S71,  and  was  principally  edu- 
cated at  the  State  University  and  a  business  col- 
lege at  ludianapulis.  lie  has  always  been  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  ciwns  fnur  hiuidred  and 
twenty  acres  of  finely  improved  land,  a  part  of 
which  is  the  old  Hammett  homestead. 

In  iSi;s  be  was  marrietl  to  Miss  Ginerva 
Barnett,  of  the  village  nf  Camargo,  and  has 
two  children  :  Ruth  and  Bessie.  Mr.  Hammett 
is  a  member  of  the  Camargo  Clue  Lodge  and 
Tuscola  Chapter  and  Commaudery  of  Ma- 
sonry. Mr.  Hammett  is  an  intelligent  young 
man  and  conducts  his  I'arming  on  busme-s 
liriuciples.  He  is  at  present  remodeling  h:s 
farm  residence,  three  miles  north  of  the  village 
of  Camargo,  and  when  liuished  it  will  rank 
with  the  most  commodious  an<l  l)eautilul  homes 
of  the  connlv. 


JASPER  S.  RECORDS. 

Tasper  S.  Records,  who  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  tenant  farmers  in  the  county  and 
who  was  born  two  miles  north  of  the  village  of 
liourbon,  January  .^1,  1N30,  is  ;i  son  of  John 
Records,  who  settle<l  in  that  neighborhood  in 
abont  the  \ear  1X311.  The  latter  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  where  he  was  born  .\ugust  l8. 
t8oo,  ami  died  in  July,  1X63.  His  wife 
was  Hanora  O'Roark,  who  was  born  near 
.Staunton,  X'irgiuia,  and  whose  parents  were 
both  born  in  Ireland.  J.  S.  Records'  paternal 
great-grand  father, with  hve  brothers, came  from 
Scotland  and  settled  in  Kentucky,  and  were 
(.ontenipi  praries  of  Coone  and  Kenton.  He  was 
killed  b\  the  Indians.  John  Records  was  a 
carpenter  in  early  life  and  later  turned  his  at- 
tention to  farming,  at  which  he  continued  up 
until  the  time  of  his  death.  While  working  at 
his  trade  he  built  the  first  frame  church  in  lu- 
dianaiiolis. 


.Mr.  Records  has  for  the  past  thirteen  years 
successfully  superintended  the  cultivation  of  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


169 


lanii  he  imw   resides  (Hi    (nwned   li\'   William  ci  mimissii  meil    c'a]itaiii    nf    C'oinpanv    K,    One 

jlcs) ,  oil  whieli  place  lie  pli  iweil  llic  lirsl  lunnw  lluiulreil   ami    I'lMu'lli    llliiinis    liifaiitrv.      I  lis 

and  laid  Uie  lirst  tile,     lie  has  heeii  twice  mar-  filial  niiister  (Hit  i<\  the  ser\ice  was  at   Atlanta, 

ried  ;   first    In    Miss    l-JiKira   O'Brian.    in    1879.  (ieiir<;ia,  Jaiiiiar\'    id,    iXdd.      At  the  next   No- 

llie  hitler's  death  I  >ccnrriiij;  in  Nm-eniher,  1895.  \  einher  election  lie  was  elected- sheriff  (if  Vcr- 

ller  home  \\as;it    I ',irk\ille,  ClianipaiLjn  conn-  niilioii   county.    Illinois,   and   after   the  expira- 

ty.      rhe\'  had  two  children,  hoth  of  whom  are  tion   of   his  office,   in    Noxemher,    iNdX,   he   re- 

li\'ing:      Bessie  and    Llo\d.      llis  second   wife  nioxcd   to    I  )ong"las  comity.    Illinois,  and   li\ed 

was    Miss    Rachael     hniiiian,    id     .^wit/erland  ii]ioii   his   f.ann    lor  elexeii   \ears,  when  he  was 

County,   Indiana.      f]ic\'  ha\"e  one  child.  Louise  elected    county    treasurer    ol     l)oni;'las    conntv, 

lies.  Mr.  Records  is  a  meiiiher  ol  the  Odd  and  was  afterward  re-elected  for  a  two  vears' 
fellows,  lloine  horiim,  the  ( '1  nirt  i^f  lloiior 
and  the  Modern  Wondmcn.  .iiid  is  an  iiide- 
])endent  Re])nhl:caii.  lie  is  well  informed  on 
the  to]iics  ol  the  daw  's  piihl  c  spir  l^'d  and  is  a 
man  ■  it  marked  indi\  idnahtw 


Ll.Xf:.^  I..  IWRKKR. 

Lines  L.  I'arker,  the  suhject  of  this  sketch, 
was  horn  in  Ihowu  conntw  (  )liio.  Sep- 
teniher  1,  iS_:;_\  .\t  the  a^e  of  live  years  he 
reiiio\ed  with  his  parents  in  X'erniilion  conntw 
Illinois.  Ills  f.ilher,  h'lm  W  .  I'arker,  and 
his  mother.  1  l.iiiii.ih  I'.irker  (  ;;(V  1 'anj^lnirn  ) ,  term.  .\l  the  ex])ir;it  ion  of  his  term  ol  olfice 
were  hoth  horn  in  llrown  coiiiitv.  (  )liio,  and  he  retired  to  his  1,-irin.  where  he  and  his  laith- 
alter  Octoher,  iN.v,  li\ed  in  \  (■rniilion  coun-  .fill  wife  li,i\e  li\ed  for  the  last  Ihirteen  years, 
t\'.  Illinois,  where  lhe\  died,  lolm  \\  .  I'arker  llis  wifi',  Marv  .\.  I'arker  ( /(cc  West),  was 
w  as  slu'rilf  I  d  \  ermiiion  couiil  \-  iiisl  |irecediiiL'  iiiiiteij  to  hini  in  m:iiri,i;.^e  on  the  iJtliot  .\|)ril. 
the  (,'ivil  w.ar,  .and  .after  the  war  he  w.as  coniil\'  i^.^.S-  She  w  .as  horn  in  honntaiii  county,  lii- 
snperiiitendenl  of  sclio,  lis  for  I  W(i  terms.  Lines  di;m;i,  \iiL;iist  jS,  i8:;j-,  .and  as  the  Irnits  of 
I..  I'.irkerwenI  iiilo  the  w  .11"  111  1  Nd  1  as  ;t  mem-  this  m,irii.ii;e  there  w  I'le  horn  to  |lu-iii  li\e  chil- 
lier ol  (  ompaii\-  h,  f\\eiil\'  fifth  Illinois  Infaii-  dreii,  all  lixini;  ,ind  settled  in  lite  iie.ir  home: 
try.  lie  was  soon  commissioned  a  second  Alice  is  the  widow  ol  \le\,inder  L.  fnlk'rtoii, 
lienteiiant  and  .liter  the  hatlle  of  I'e.a  Kidije  was  and  now  li\es  near  1Iiil;o,  Illinois;  John  W. 
liriiiiioted    to    lirst    lienlenant,    and    afterward  is  a   farmer  in  Lowdre  townsln'ii,  near  Hugo; 


I70 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL 


Oliver  Lino '111  is  a  grain  dealer  in  Tnscola. 
Illinois;  Hannah  O.  lives  with  her  hushand 
one  mile  west  of  her  parents'  home,  and  Hattie 
lives  with  her  luishand  within  hailing  distance 
of  her  father  and  mother. 

Mr.  Parker  is  a  memlier  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Repuhlic,  also  of  the  Masonic 
fraternitv.  He  owns  three  hundred  mu\  thirty 
acres  of  land,  which  he  has  divided  among  his 
children,  w  ho  h\e  npoh  or  manage  the  part  they 
expect  to  get  at  their  father's  death.  Mr.  Par- 
ker and  his  wife  are  memhers  of  the  Christian 
church  at  Hugo.  Illinois,  and  are  liheral  con- 
trihntors  to  its  suiiiiort. 


JAMES  M.  GOODSPEED. 

James  M.  GcHKlspeed,  a  resident  of  Tus- 
cola. Illinois,  and  who  has  for  many  years 
I/cen  a  preacher  in  the  Methodist  l*;pisc!>pal 
church,  was  iiorn  in  the  city  of  W'ooster, 
A\'ayne  county,  Ohio,  June  jj.  1845.  His 
parents  were  S.  S.  and  Anna  (  h'isli )  Good- 
speed.  The  former  was  horn  in  Esse.x  county. 
New  York,  and  his  mother  in  X'ermont.  His 
grandfather  Goodspeed  was  a  soldier  in  the 
war  of  1 8x2  and  for  his  services  drew  a  pen- 
sion from  the  government  u|i  to  the  time  of 
his  death. 

During  the  Ci\il  war  the  suhject  of  this 
sketch  enlisted  in  the  services  of  his  country 
four  times.  On  June  4.  iS6j,  he  enlisted  in 
the  Sixty-ninth  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers 
and  ser\ed  four  months.  After  heing  hon- 
orahly  discharged  he  enlisted  in  the  Twenty- 
sixth    Illinois    Volunteers,    hut   was    rejected. 


On  March  4.  1864.  he  enli.sted  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Thirty-lifth  Illinois  Regiment 
and  hecame  sergeant  in  Company  A.  After 
serving  four  months  and  twenty-four  days  he 
was  houorahly  discharged.  When  the  gov- 
ernment called  for  men  to  serve  for  one  year, 
he  enlisted  again,  hut  was  rejected  on  account 
of  a  disaliled  arm.  He  is  now  a  memlier  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repuhlic. 


Rev.  Goodspeed  was  reared  and  educated 
at  I'rhana.  Illinois,  and  after  leaxing  the 
.schools  of  that  city  he  entered  the  University 
of  Illinois,  where  he  attended  as  a  student  for 
two  vears.  He  taught  school  near  l^rhana  in 
i86g  and  1870,  and  then  entered  (i.arrett  Bihi- 
cal  Institute,  at  I^vanston,  Illinois,  where  he 
prepared  himself  for  the  duties  of  the  ministry. 
He  joined  the  Illinois  conference  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  Septemher  30.  1873, 
and  served  the  following  charges:  Tuscola 
circuit,  two  years;  Ludlow,  two  years;  Catlin, 
two  years;  Camargo.  three  years;  Fairmount, 
two  years;  Georgetown,  three  years;  Homer, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


171 


three  years,  and  was  sent  from  Iliniier  to  Ar-  further  ancestry  see  sketch  of  his  hrother, 
cola.     After  serying  tlie  church   liere   for  one      Isaac  Skinner). 

year,  on   account   of   ill   health   in    his    family,  John  Skinner  grew  up  on  the  farm  and  has 

he,  in  1892,  located  at  Tuscola.  I-'rom  that  always  heen  identified  with  fanning  interests, 
date  until  the  jiresenl  he  has  continued  in  the  lie  has  held  the  olTice  of  towushi])  conimis- 
actiye  niinistr\',  scrsing  such  charges  as  he  sioner,  and  has  always  identified  himself  with 
could  and   liye  at    Tuscola.  the   hest    interests   ot    Newman   and    Newman 

-April   14,  1873,  he  was  united  in  marriage      township.      Me  owns   three  huuilreil   and   .sey- 
to  Miss  Rebecca,  a  daughter  of  1).    11.  Jessee,      enty    acres    of    valii.ihle    and    well-tiled    land, 
who  is  an  enter|>rising  stock  raiser  and  shiii])er      which  conies  alnio>t  to  the  cm  por.itii  m  line  of 
residing   near    \'illa    (iro\e.       They    ha\e    two      .\ewmau. 
children:     W'ilhnr  1'..  who  is  a  gradu.ate  of  the 
Tuscola  High  School,  and   F.dith,  ten  years  of 
age.      l\e\'.   (ioiidspeeil   owns  a   \alnalile    farm 
of  two  hundred   acres  in    Douglas  county  and 
other   priipcrty.      lie   li.is   preached    twenty-six 
years    in    this    stale,    is    ;in    earnest    and    ahle 
speaker  and   is  highl_\'  respected   h\'  his  neigh- 
1)(  )rs  and  friends. 


|()ll\   SKIXXF.K. 


Jiilin  ."^^kinner,  a  leliied  an(l  highly  re- 
si)ected  citi/.en  ot  Xewnian.  was  hurn  in  \'er-  In  iS^cj  our  sulijecl  was  married  t"  Miss 
million  calmly.  Imliana,  April  4.  18,^1,  and  is  flann.ili  J.,  ,1  daughter  .  >f  Mr.  Ringland,  one  of 
a  son  of  Jose|ih  and  .\laiy  ((i.ision)  .Skinner.  the  tirst  plivsicians  of  .Vewnian.  w  ho  emigialed 
llis  l.ither  came  to  the  cnunty  in  i8_:;<)  ;is  a  from  I'ennsyKauia  to  the  neighliorhoo<l  of 
renter,  hut  afterward  owned  a  trad  of  land  of  Kansas,  h'.dgar  comUw  later  remoyed  to  New- 
eight  hundied  aci'es.  The  city  of  .Xewnian  is  man  in  1857,  and  thence  hack  to  Kansas,  where 
located  oil  part  of  this  land.  Me  took  stock  he  died.  The  death  of  the  wife  of  our  subject 
to  the  yalne  of  I'our  hundred  acres  of  laud  and  occurred  within  six  weeks  after  her  marri.agc 
one  thousand  doII;irs  cisli  in  the  construction  to  Mr.  .Skinner;  he  has  remained  unmarried 
o|  the  1.  1).  vK:  \\  .  I\.  K..  fioni  which  he  realized  e\er  since. 

nothing.      Me   u.is   ;m   enlisted    soldier   in   the  In     i8(i_>    he    yoluuteered    in    the    Seycuty- 

Black     Hawk    war,   and    died     in    1857    (for  ninth   Illinois  Infantry,  and  participate<I  in  the 


172 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


battles  of  Stdiie  River,  Liberty  Gap  and  Cliick- 
amautja.  Fie  ami  liis  bnither  Anson  were 
captured  at  the  latter  place  on  Sejitember  ig, 
1863,  and  were  placed  in  Libby  prison  for  three 
days.  They  were  placed  in  the  Peniberton 
buildinti".  just  across  the  street  from  Libby, 
and  ke])t  there  for  six  weeks.  Thev  were  after- 
ward taken  to  Danville.  X'irqinia.  and  kept  in 
an  old  tobacco  factor\  thrnugh  the  winter  of 
1863  and  iS(i4  with  sixteen  hundred  other 
prisoners,  and  were  made  to  sleej)  on  the  bare 
floor  without  betUliny  or  lights  in  the  buildiu";. 
Tli'ey  were  taken  from  this  place  in  .\pril,  i8()4, 
;uid  sent  to  .Andersonville,  Georgia.  This 
prison  contained  al)out  twenty  three  acres,  be- 
ing enclosed  with  logs  standing  on  end,  mak- 
ing a  wall  arountl  about  fourteen  feet  high. 
This  prison  had  about  thirty-five  thousand  men 
in  it.  In  September,  1864,  they  were  taken  to 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and  remained 
there  four  weeks,  thence  to  Florence  Stockade, 
in  February,  1865.  They  were  kept  prisoners 
here  for  al)out  tour  months,  when  thev  were 
removed  to  Goldsboro,  South  Carolina,  and 
back  to  \Vilmington,  where  they  were  mus- 
tered out  after  enduring  a  prison  life  of  seven- 
teen months  and  nine  days.  In  these  prisons 
they  were  reduced  in  llesh  b\-  starvation  to  less 
than  half  their  natural  weight.  Mr.  Skinner 
was  with  his  regiment  all  the  time  after  being 
mustered  in  until  he  was  cajjtured,  excepting 
twi>  weeks  sickness  at  Stone  Ri\er.  .\fter  be- 
ing caplurcil  he  was  ten  days  on  his  Wdv  to 
Libby,  where  general  starvation  began,  lie 
issued  rations  to  a  scpiad  of  twenty  men  about 
one  year.  There  were  seventeen  members  of 
his  company  cai)tured  at  the  same  time  and  he 
had  charge  of  them  in  pri.son  and  kept  them  all 
in  his  squad  except  Lieutenant  Albin,  who  was 


wounded  and  taken  from  this  ]jlace.  Joseph 
Harvey  and  \\'illiam  Ritter  were  left  sick  at 
Richmond,  Virginia:  Ritter  died  and  Harvey 
was  ]iaroled.  D.  N.  Howard,  .Aaron  Briton  and 
W'm.  .Stilluell.  of  his  company,  died  in  .\nder- 
sonsille.  These  were  all  that  died  of  the  sev- 
enteen who  were  captured. 

.After  they  left  Dan\ille.  \'irginia,  there 
was  ne\er  a  vessel  of  any  kind  issued  for  them 
with  which  to  eat,  drink  or  cook.  .Ml  thev  had 
was  old  cans  that  they  could  ])ick  up  that  had 
been   thrown   awa^'. 

Our  subject  got  hold  of  an  old  iron  hoop 
and  UKule  a  saw  and  a  pocket  knife,  these  being 
the  only  edge  tools  he  bad.  \\ith  these  he 
[legan  making  buckets  out  of  cordwood.  He 
could  make  one  bucket  a  day  and  sold  them  for 
from  one  dollar  to  one  dollar  and  a  half.  This 
was  his  occupation  while  in  .\nderson\ille. 
AVliile  he  was  in  the  Florence  stockades  he 
mended  shoes  and  made  from  two  dollars  to 
two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  ilay.  .At  Dan- 
\ille  he  got  a  job  of  keeping  the  back  yaril 
clean,  for  which  be  recei\ed  four  rat'ons  per 
day ;  he  divided  these  rations  with  his  com- 
pany and  by  so  doing  saved  the  lives  of  six  or 
eight  men.  In  November,  1864,  he  went  out 
to  the  commissar}-,  where  he  had  plenty  to  eat, 
taking  his  squad  along,  besides  several  mem 
bers  of  other  companies.  While  he  was  in  An- 
dersomille  ])rison  he  was  starved  down  to  the 
weight  of  eighty-live  pounds,  but  when  he  left 
the  commissary  at  bdorence,  in  b'ebruarv,  18O5, 
he  bail  goten  back  to  his  natural  weight,  one 
hundred  and  ninety-seven  and  one-half  pounds, 
so  it  can  lie  seen  how  starvation  had  reduced 
him.  1  Ic  was  mustered  i.mt  of  service  June  5, 
18(15.  at  the  city  of  Springfield,  Illinois. 

.\nson   Skinner's  death  occurred   in   Feb- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


173 


niary,  1896.  William,  another  hmther,  now 
residing-  in  Xewnian,  was  a  nicniher  ot  the 
same  regiment ;  they  were  all  sergeants.  John 
Skinner's  friends  are  legion  in  the  community 
in  which  he  resides.  He  h\es  a  (|uiet,  con- 
tented life,  and  cnjo)'s  the  highest  confidence 
of  all  who  know  him. 


JOHN   V.  JORD.XN. 

John  \'.  Jordan,  one  of  the  old  and  well 
known  (if  the  early  settlers  now  living  ami  re- 
siding in  .Murdoch  towiishi]),  settled  in  what 
is  now  llie  coiitincs  of  Douglas  county  in  the 
fall  of  ii'^34.  lie  is  a  son  of  h'.dward  |(irdan, 
who  was  horn  in   \  ir''inia  and  rcaicd  ni   l\eu- 


r 

tuckw  ;i  son  iif  Samuel  jord.in.  who  w;is  one 
ot  the  pioneer  settlers  of  that  state.  h'.dward 
jord.in  wediled  Christina  \'an  |)u\u.  who  was 


lioi'n  in  .\e\\  Jersey  ;uid  was  a  druighter  of 
.Mr.  Jordan's  ])arents  emigrated  to  \  crmillion 
coinUw  Indiana,  where  he  was  lioru  in  the 
year  iS,V>.  Ilere  he  was  reared  and  iccci\e<l 
John  and  Rehecca  \'au  l)u\n.  In  ahont  iSj_^ 
the  meagre  education  oht.aiuahle  in  the  early 
])ioneer  schools  of  that  day.  After  arriving 
in  Douglas  coimtw  he  entered  first  an  eightv- 
acre  tract  of  land,  -awA  soon  after  I)ought  an- 
other eighty-acre  tract,  which  was  second 
h.and.  h'or  that  which  he  entereil  he  ]>aid  one 
tlollar  ami  twenty-live  cents  per  acre,  and  the 
other  at  three  dollars  and  se\entv-fi\e  cents  per 
acre,  lie  niiw  owns  in  all  three  hundred  and 
litty  acres.  He  h;is  oidy  recently  donated  one 
acie  to  the  k'airland  Cemetery  Compau\'.  lie 
has  .always  taken  an  active  interest  in  com- 
mon school  education  .and  was  school  trustee 
;md  tre.isiu'er  helore  he  liecame  a  \oter  in 
1  )i  luglas   ci  Hint)'. 

In  January,  1S35,  he  was  muted  in  mar- 
ri.age  to  Miss  L\'dia  (_ .  I.eniou,  who  w.as  a  na- 
tive of  Lawrence  count)',  lndian;i,  ,and  a  d.iugh- 
ter  of  M.  H,  ;iiid  h'.h/a  Lemon.  To  their  m.ar- 
riage  were  horn  si.\  chiflren:  l.cmon.  I'.Ua. 
Edward,  John,  l,uc\-  an<l  Dell.  I.iu\  died  in 
1888,  at  the  age  o|'  twenl\   one  \ears. 

John  \  .  J'  ird.iii,  licti  n  e  (lie  formal  .on  1  u'  the 
Kcpiihhcin  ]i;irt\,  w.is  a  Whig,  and  since  llie 
filler  pai"l\  went  down  he  li.is  licen  ,1  Repuhli- 
c.in.  When  he  lirst  came  to  the  fcalitx'  in 
which  he  now  resides,  .among  those  who  li.id 
couK'  ]ire\ionsl\-  w  (.•!■(,■  Knherl  i',.  (  arm.ick.  who 
was  horn  in  renni'ssee  and  located  here  in 
1S3J;  S.iinuel  .iiid  James  W'ishard  .and  J.acoh 
Canlm.iu;  .ilsn  Samuel  .\.  Itrowii.  .ill  coming 
liciin  \  ermilhoii  connt\.  Indiana;  l\e\ .  h  mes 
.and  .\ithni   Rr.idsh.iw   w  ere  the  earl\  preachers. 


174 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


N.   C.  LYRLA. 

N.  C.  Lyrla,  of  Tuscola,  a  young  lawyer 
of  brilliant  prospects  in  the  future,  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  in  tlic  l)ou,t;ias  o>unty  ciuuis. 
in  i8q6,  having-  previously  prepared  himself 
for  the  law  inider  the  tutelage  of  the  late  Hon. 


Charles  W.  W'oolverton.  He  was  born 
October  4.  1875.  in  Champaign  county,  Illinois, 
and  is  the  sou  of  H.  J.  and  Rose  (Christy) 
Lyrla,  who  were  natives  respectively  of  South 
Carolina  and  ()luii.  His  f.ather  is  a  tnbular 
well  drilltr  by  trade  and  resides  in  Tuscola. 
His  grandfather  Christy  was  born  in  Ohio 
and  ser\ed  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion. 

N.  C.  Lvrla  was  graduated  from  the  Tus- 
cola high  school  in  the  class  of  1894.  He  takes 
an  active  interest  in  the  success  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  and  was  the  party's  nominee  for 
ccmuty  judge  in  1898,  InU  withdrew  before 
the  electiun.  In  the  legal  i)rofession  he  is  rap- 
idly fighting  his  way  to  the  front;  he  is  a  young 
man  of  excellent  good  judgment,  is  a  good 
mdge  of  law  and  is  engaged  in  some  of 
the  must  important  cases  th.at  come  before  the 
Douglas  county  courts. 


HENRY  C.   NILES. 

Henry  Clay  Niles,  master  in  chancery, 
local  historian  and  an  old  and  well  known  resi- 
dent of  Tuscola,  is  a  native  of  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  and  a  son  of  Hezikiah  and  Sally 
.\nn(  Warner)  Niles,  the  former  was  born  near 
Wilmington,  Delaware,  and  the  latter  being  of 
Quaker  extraction  and  the  daughter  of  John 
Warner,  one  of  the  leading  Quakers  of  that 
state.  Hezikiah  Niles  was  an  intimate  friend 
of  Henry  Clay,  and  prominent  in  Whig  pol- 
itics of  his  (lav;  in  181 1  he  was  editor  and 
pro])rietor  of  the  Niles  Register,  which  was  a 
strong  Whig  and  pro-slavery  paper  and  always 
supported  the  candidacy  of  Clay.  It  was  one 
of  the  most  influential  newspapers  in  the  east- 
ern countrv.  being  one  of  the  acknowledged 
organs  of  the  \\hig  party.  The  International 
Cvclopedia   savs  of  him   that  he   was  born   in 


1777.  in  Pennsylvania,  received  an  ordmary 
education  and  became  a  member  of  J^onsal  & 
Niles  in  the  newspaper  Inisiness  at  \\'ilming- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


•75 


toll,  nelaware.  wliich  was  not  a  success.  He 
tlieii  liecame  a  newspaper  correspondent  and 
in  iSii  founded  Xiles  Rctjister  at  Baltimore, 
and  tlied  in  1839. 

II.  C.  Niles  was  reared  to  inanluMxl  in  tlie 
cit}'  of  Baltimore  wliere  he  attended  school 
up  til  the  ag'e  of  fourteen  years.  1  le  then  hecanie 
a  clerk  in  a  wholesale  drug  store  and  later  was 
a  clerk  in  the  Baltimore  postnflice  fur  seven 
years.  He  was  then  engaged  in  the  drug  busi- 
ness u])  tn  icS^d,  when  he  came  tu  what  is  now' 
Douglas  ci>unly  and  located  at  I'.Murhdn, 
\i  here  he  hecanie  a  salesman  for  his  hrother- 
in  Law,  L.  ( '.  Rust,  who  w;is  une  of  the  early 
mercli.aiits  nf  the  cnunty,  aii<l  with  wlium  he 
remained  fur  i\\,  1  years.  .After  Douglas 
county  was  fdniu-d  in  1850.  he  was  elected  tu 
the  ofifice  of  county  sur\eyor,  since  wliich  time 
he  has  served  several  terms  in  this  othce,  and  is 
one  of  the  hest  known  sur\e\-ors  in  central 
Illinois.  He  is  still  acti\ely  engaged  in  the 
business.  \'arious  acts  of  the  legislature  mak- 
ing any  correct  snr\ey  hy  a  competent  snr\-eyiir 
perfectly  leg.il  (thus  destroying  all  induce- 
ments to  hold  the  ofiice),  he.  like  maiiv  other 
e.xperienced  surveyor^  in  the  state.  h;is  since 
refused  the  position.  In  iSSi,  he  was  aj)- 
jiointed  master  in  ch.ancery  of  the  Doug'Jas 
County  circuit  court,  which  ])osition  he  has  con- 
tinuously held,  thus  attesting  his  popularity 
witth  all  classes  ot  peopFe  who  have  husiness 
in  his  court. 

In  [858  he  married  Miss  kehecca  IJrowu, 
of  DeWitt  county.  Illinois.  TIkw  have  fwv 
children,  four  of  whom  are  living.  .\Ir.  Niles 
was  made  a  M.isoii,  in  li.altiniore,  in  1854,  and 
iS  OIK-  ot  the  oldest  memhers  of  that  craft  in 
the  county.  He  has  materially  assisted  in  the 
making  of  hotli  count v  atlases  ;ind  is  the  author 


of  the  old  Douglas  county  history,  ])uhlislied  in 
1884,  and  in  this  compil.alion  of  this  \iilume 
1  ;im  under  perm.anent  ohHg.itions  to  Mr.  Niles 
h  >r  his  iinselfish  help. 


JOSI'.l'H 


FINNEV. 


Jose]ih  H.  I'innev,  late  of  Newman,  was 
horn  in  Parke  county.  Indi.an.a,  January  10, 
1841),  and  die<l  .Septemher  9,  1897.  In  1873 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Kate  I'orter  and  after 
her  de.'ith  married  .Miss  .\gnes  V'alodin.  For 
twent\'-three  vc.ars  Mr.  h'innev  w;is  in  husiness 
at  Newman  ;it  which  lie  snccessfnllv  continued 
up  to  the   lime  id   his  death.      lie  left    ,1    wife 


and  two  Soils:  I'orier  and  l{\ei"ctt:  also  two 
sisters,  Mrs.  W  .  I'.  Miller  and  Mrs.  W.  |). 
(ioldman.  .and  four  hiollieis;  I'"..  ('.,  Daniel, 
D,i\id  \\  .,  .and  Kohert.  I'or  several  years  Mr. 
hiiinev  w.is  an  active  and  inllnenli.al  memher 
of  the  .M.  I'",  church  at  Newman,  and  ,il  his 
fuiier.il  in  speaking  of  llie  deceased,  the  pastor 


176 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


spoke  in  substance  as  follows:  "Josei)li  Fin- 
ney (li't  not  lack  in  noMe  liahits.  lie  was  a 
true  friend.  Friendship  to  him  was  not  an 
ideal  sonicthint;-.  hut  a  living  reality,  lie  had 
no  enemies,  for  he  let  his  life  cast  true  friend- 
ship on  every  other  life.  No  envy  or  malice 
could  .grow  in  his  nature.  lie  was  benevolent 
to  a  fault,  if  it  is  ever  a  fault  to  be  benevolent. 
Some  man  who  knew  him  well,  said,  'If  Jos- 
eph iMuney  only  had  twenty  dollars  in  the 
world  .and  someone  in  need  were  to  ask  him  for 
aid,  he  would  ,^ivc  nineteen  of  the  twenty  to 
the  tlestitutc."     Such  was  his  nature. 

"Gentleness  was  a  marked  characteristic 
of  his  nature.  No  unkind  words  would  Mr. 
Finney  say  of  those  who  may  deserve  them. 
"He  understocxl  human  nature  well  and 
l)ecause  he  knew  the  need  (d'  sympathy  he 
understood  now  to  look  with  charity  on  the 
failings  of  others. 

"No  man  was  ever  discouraged  or  weak- 
ened by  associating  with  joseijh  Finney.  On 
the  other  hand,  all  who  knew  him  felt  the 
inllucnce  of  an  honest,  gentle,  manly  spirit. 
Probably  none  have  felt  natural  weakness 
more,  but  none  have  shown  more  truly  than  the 
deceased  a  strong  heart  and  an  irreproachable 
character.  If  ever  a  m;m  was  worthy  of 
ch;nitv.  th;it  m;ui   was   .Mr.    l-'inney. 

"In  his  home,  in  social  life,  and  in  business 
relations  he  was  ever  the  same.  No  harshness, 
no  sharj)  criticism,  no  fault  finding  marreii  his 
iiUercniu'se  wiln  others. 

"lie  was  ever  a  man  id'  noble  aspirati'us. 
ile  v>as  never  satisfied  with  present  e.\perience 
or  achievements.  His  testimonies  in  class 
meetii^g  an  1  prayer  meeting  always  s;)')ke 
humility  and  resolution  and  noble  desire. 

"lie  knew  how  to  struggle.      .\nd   though 


like  every  other  man  he  nicay  sometimes  have 
erred,  yet,  like  David,  he  knew  how  to  rise 
above  difticnlty  and  even  defeat.  His  frank- 
ness was  striking.  He  was  never  afraid  tc;  do 
the  m.inly  thing. 

'"To  his  ])astor  he  sjxike  with  Christian  con- 
fidence during  his  illness  of  his  trust  in  God, 
and  conscious  peace  at  heart.  He  was  the 
kind  of  man  that  God  loves, — humble,  sin- 
cere,  trustful,  penitent. 

"The  words  of  Shakespeare  may  be  truly 
said  of  him:  'His  life  was  gentle,  and  the 
elements  so  mixed  in  him,  that  nature  might 
stand  u]i  and  say  to  all  the  world.  This  was  a 
man.'  "' 

He  was  buried  at  Tuscola,  the  funeral  cer- 
emonies being  conducted  by  Re\".  J.  M.  Oak- 
wood,  assisted  by  Revs.  Calhoun  and  Piper. 
Mr.  Finney  was  a  Mason  and  was  a  member  of 
Melita  Commandery  at  Tuscola,  the  members 
of  which  had  charge  of  his  remains;  he  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
Modern  Woodmen.  His  widow,  Mrs.  Finney, 
resides  at  .Newman  and  before  her  marriage 
was  a  Miss  Valodin,  of  Oakland.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  M.  B.  and  Sarah  Ann  (Red- 
den) \'alodin.  Her  father  was  born  in  Ohio 
and  her  mother  in  Illinois.  Mrs.  h'inney  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at 
Xewman  and  highly  interests  herself  in  cburcii 
work,  being  one  of  the  class  leaders. 


SAMUEL  H.\\\lvL\S. 

Samuel  Hawkins,  a  member  of  one  <d  die 
earliest  settled  in  Douglas  county  families  and 
a  soldier  in  the  Civil   war,  was  born  in  Pick- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


1/7 


away  county,  Oliio,  October  12,  1836.  and  is  a 
snn  i>f  ]nhn  Tfawkiiis  wlio  was  l)orn  in  Lon- 
(Iniin  Cdunl}',  \'irL;inia.  His  motlicr,  wlio  was 
Marji'arct  Cassady,  was  also  l.iorn  in  X'irc^-inia. 
In  October,  1851.  Siunud's  father,  witli  a 
laniily  of  several  sons,  came  and  settled  in 
what  is  now  Douglas  county,  two  miles  and 
;i  half  southwest  of  Newman,  .\ftcr  he  had 
Inc'itcd  his  children  nrs^'cl  him  to  enter  <a  lar<;'C 
body  of  land  which  he  could  have  done  at  one 
dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  an  acre,  but  it  was 
his  opinion  at  that  time  that  the  prairie  land 
uiaild    never   he   settled,   and   conse(|ncntlv   he 


did  not  do  so.  i'.ut  later  on  he  bought  a  f.arm 
of  seventy-two  acres  along  the  Brushv  h'ork 
timber,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  .\'o- 
\  ember  ro,  ]88o. 

Samuel  Hawkins  remained  on  a  farm  in 
Ohio  until  he  arrived  in  Douglas  county  with 
his  I'ather.  He  has  l«en  twice  married,  the 
first  lime  on  Octi/ber  23,  1858,  to  Aliss  Eliza- 
beth, a  daugliter  of  Robert  Hopkins,  wlio  emi- 
gr.-ited  from  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  and  set- 
tled in  Xewman  township  before  the  Hawkins 
12 


tamily,  and  by  this  marriage  he  has  two  chil- 
dren living:  W.  S.  and  Mrs.  Mary  E.  lUisby. 
Mis  first  wife  died  .\ugu.st  12,  1866.  In  1870 
he  wedded  ATiss  Elizabeth,  daugliter  of  W'ill- 
iam  lln|)kiiis,  who  was  a  brother  of  Roliert, 
and  was  among  the  pioneer  .settlers  in  what  is 
now  known  as  the  Hopkins  and  Hawkins 
neiglil)orhood.  Mrs.  Hawkins  is  a  gnmd- 
danghter  of  Josejih  and  Eliz;ibtth  Winkler, 
who  came  to  this  county  in  :i  verv  earlv  day. 
Both  died  in  1830,  and  were  among  the  verv 
earliest  buried  in  the  .Mliin  cemeterv.  .Mr. 
Hawkins  by  his  second  wife  has  Iwn  children: 
E\a  1!.,  wife  of  llarrisun  ll.awkins.  ;uid  Lu- 
ther   1').,   unmarried. 

On  July  30,  1862,  our  subject  volunteered 
in  the  Seventy-ninth  Illinois,  and  became  a 
corporal  in  Com]xniy  E,  W.  .\.  Lowe's  com 
pany.  Mr.  Eowe  was  an  olil  .■md  pi-nminenl 
early  settler  in  .Vewman  township,  and  for 
him  the  Newman  (irand  .\rmy  ])osl  w;is 
named;  before  the  end  of  the  war  he  became 
lieutenant-colonel.  Mr.  Hawkins  was  .at  the 
iiattle  of  t'hickamauga,  but  was  captured  the 
first  day  of  the  fight  and  w:is  sent  to  Uich- 
mond  and  Later  to  Danville.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  (ir.and  .\rniy  of  the  Ke])nblic,  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  the  Wesley  Chapel 
.Methodist  church.  He  owns  eighty  acres  of 
land  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  and  highly 
respected    citizens  of   Newman    township. 


1-"U.\.\'K  C.  DI'A'I'.R. 

h^^ank  C.  Devcr,  present  i)rincipal  of  the 
Hindsboro  public  .schools,  and  the  ctlitor  and 
proprietor  (jf  the  Hindsboro  News,  was  Ijorn 


178 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


in  Clark  county,  TUindis.  January  26,  1860, 
and  is  a  son  of  I'^  C.  ami  I'.li/.a  (luig-lish) 
Dover,  natives  of  Ohio.  The  jiarents  re- 
iiiDVcd  to  Caniargo  township  in  iS^S,  thence 
tu  r..i\v(lre  township  in  1870,  and  the  father 
at  present  resides  in  Missouri,  the  mother 
having  died  May  31,  1900.  l-rank  C.  Dever 
attended  Lee's  academy  at  Loxie.  Coles  coun- 
tv,  and  later  at  the  Danville  normal.      He  has 


been  teaching  since  1 880,  ar.d  was  superintend- 
ent of  the  ]Hil)lic  schools  at  .\nna,  Illinois,  for 
four  years,  and  of  Barry,  Illinois,  for  tw<.^ 
years.  Since  1897  he  has  held  his  present 
position  in  the  Hindsboro  public  schools.  In 
1892  he  was  married  to  Miss  Eva  W'orley,  of 
.\ima.  They  have  two  children :  Lena  and 
Wesley    Collins. 

In  1898  our  snliject  was  the  Democratic 
nominee  for  superintendent  of  the  Douglas 
county  schools,  but  was  defeated.  The  Demo- 
cratic side  of  the  board  of  supervisors  in  the 
contest  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  tliat  office  caused 
by  tlie  death  of  Thomas  M.  \\'ells,  in    1899, 


gave  their  united  support  to  Mr.   Dever   for 
twenty-three  ballots,   the    board    being    a  tie 
politically.     The  deadlock,  which  had  held  the 
lioard  of  supervisors  for  several   weeks,   was 
broken    by   both    parties    meeting   on   neutral 
ground    and    giving   their   united    support    to 
Miss  Blanche  Caraway,  the  present  incumbent. 
The  Hindsboro  News,  which  is  in  the  line 
politically  with   the    Chicago    platform,    was 
founded   liy   Sisson   &    Miller   in    1896.     Air. 
Sisson  soon  withdrew,  and  the  paper  was  man- 
aged liy  Charles  B.   Miller  until  the  summer 
of  1897,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Monroe 
Mclntyre,  known  as  the  "fighting  editor"  of 
the   News,   and    who   sold    the   paper   to    Mr. 
Dever  in  March,  189S.     The  paper  has  a  cs- 
culation  of  about  five  hundred,  comes  out  ov 
Fridays   and     is   a    six-column     folio.     Since 
October,    1899,   C.    L.     Watson,    the    prc.ai.; 
supervisor  of  Bowdre  township,  has  been  as- 
sociated with  Mr.  Dever  in  business,  under  the 
following   names :     Dever    &     Watson,    pub- 
lishers; and  C.  L.  Watson  &  Co.,  real  estate. 
Mr.  Dever  is  president  of  the  village  board  of 
trustees  of  Hinds1:)oro,  and  is  ident.fied  with 
all  movements  which  aim  toward  the  advance- 
ment of  the  best   interests  of   Hindsboro  and 
its   vicinity. 


GEORGE  W.  SIDERS. 

George  W.  Siders  is  one  of  the  early  and 
prominent  settlers  of  Camargo  township  stdl 
living.  He  settled  in  the  northeast  part  of 
Camargo  township  in  1852.  He  is  a  son  of 
Jacob  and   Susan    (Clark)    Siders,   who  were 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


1/9 


natives  respectively  of  A'irginia  and  Maryland. 
.\fter  tlieir  marriage  they  emigrated  from 
Virginia  to  Fairfield  county.  Ohio,  thence  to 
Pickaway  county.  Ohio,  and  from  there  to 
Douglas  county,  Illinois.  In  the  _\-ear  aliove 
mentioned  Jacolb  Siders  was  a  renter  and 
never  owned  but  twenty  acres  of  land.  He 
died  in  this  county  in  the  sixty-third  year  of 
his  age.  and  was  huricd  at  Camargo.  His 
wife,  who  was  horn  in  i8i  i  near  Harper's 
Ferry,  Virginia,  is  still  living.  Jacol)  Siders 
was  a  son  of  Solomon  Siders,  wlio  was  a  sol- 


George  W.  Siders  was  born  b'chruary  lo, 
1836,  in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  and  was  six- 
teen years  old  when  his  father  came  to  Doug- 
las count}-.  In  1 869  he  settled  on  his  i)resent 
farm,  which  contains  one  hundred  and  t\\ent\' 
acres.  In  1862  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Eliza  i\nn  Hughes,  who  was  bom  and  reared 
in  Logan  county,  Ohio.  Her  death  occm-red 
on  Sunday,  April  2j,  1900.  To  this  mar- 
riage were  born  five  children,  four  of  whom 
are  nf)w  li\-ing:  Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  lvc}'nolds;  Ella,  wife  of  John  lluls; 
.Mice,  wife  of  I  linmas  Huls;  and  .Miln,  who 
is  at  home;  he  married  Miss  .Maii'l  (irimcs, 
of  Indianola.  Robert  Eldon,  who  died  in 
April.  1900,  aged  thirt_\'-seven  }-cars  and  live 
days,  was  much  attached  to  his  fam.ly.  .Mr. 
Siders  has  been  schocil  director  for  three  years, 
a  member  of  the  Grange  and  l\  M.  I!.  .\. 
order,  .\mong"  -Mr.  Siders'  neighbors  whjn 
he  first  came  to  the  coimty  were  Jack  K.ch- 
man  and  his  brollier  Jim,  and  George  Kilter, 
now  ])ostmastcr  at  \'illa  Grc)\'e.  and  amung  the 
early  ministers  were  .Vrthur  Bradshaw.  i'eler 
Wallace,  whn  was  the  presiding  elder  oi  the 
district,   and    Rex'.    Saulsburv. 


\\TLL1.\M    11.   PA'Sll. 


dier  in  the  war  of  1812  and  the  Ilonsc-shoc 
war  against  the  Indians.  The  father  of  Solo- 
mon Siders  was  also  named  Solomon;  he  was 

in  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  according  to  William  H.    Ihish,  a  well-known  auction- 

tbe  traditions  of  the  family  lived  to  be  one  eer     and     respected     citizen     of     Hindsboro, 

hundred  and  fifteen  years  old.     James  Clark,  was  born  in  I'.owdre  township,  Douglas  coun- 

the  maternal  grandf;Uher,  was  born  in  Dublin,  ty,  Illinois,  .\pril   i,  1839.      lie  is  a  son  of  E. 

Ireland,  was  a  weaver  liy  trade,  and  when  he  P..   and   Margaret    .\nn    (Mover)    Ru.sh.      His 

came  to  Ohio  was  one  of  the  pioneer  school  father   was   one    of    the    earliest     settlers     m 

teachers.  Powdre  township,      lie  was  a  native  of  liar- 


i8o 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.   . 


din  enmity.  KciUiicky.  and  c.nnic  to  the  (.-(innty 
wlien  seventeen  _\-cars  of  age.  .\t  present  he 
resides  ;il  Gales'liurg,  Illinois,  in  the  sixty- 
second  xcnv  of  his  age.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
Bush,  who  was  horn  in  l''lizal)ethto\vn.  llardin 
county,  Kentuck}'.  April  i,  iScij,  and  <licd 
lu.lv  5.  1852.  Our  suhject's  mother.  Mar- 
garet .\un  Moycr.  was  horn  in  Rockingham 
countv,  N'irginia.  and  was  the  dangliter  of 
Jtjhn  Pliillip  I\lo}'er.  who  was  of  German  01- 


tr.action.  and  who  came  to  the  comity  a  year 
pre\  ions  to  the  coming  of  the  I'ush  familv. 

William  H.  lUish  was  reared  on  the  farm 
and  educated  at  the  country  schools  of  Bow- 
dre  township,  Douglas  county,  Illinois.  In 
18S2  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Aliss  Lola 
I*'.  Alnlliktu.  of  C'hamp.aigu  county,  a  grand- 
daughter of  Samuel  ]'.  Miller,  who  has  ever 
since  he  was  a  young  man  heen  a  iirominent 
light  in  the  ministry  of  the  Christian  church. 
.\lr.  .Miller  is  still  li\ing.  in.  the  eighty-fifth 
vear  of  his  age.  lie  w;i^  horn  in  Kentucky, 
April   j(>.    1S15.      llis   wife,    I'.ertha    M.   Jean, 


was  horn  in  Illinois,  May  7,  1817,  and  died 
July  8.  1838.  (See  sketch  of  I.  .M.  MuUiken. 
of  Newman.)  To  :\!r.  and  Mrs.  Bush  have 
heen  born  eiglit  children,  whose  names  and 
dates  of  birth  are  as  follows:  Zella  M.,  Sep- 
tember 3,  1882;  Clarence  E.,  December  7, 
1883;  Stella  F.,  September  12.  18S7;  Gertie 
V,.,  June  22,  1889  (died  September  14,  1898)  ; 
Waldo  H.,  August  17,  1890:  V'icva  M..  Feb- 
ruar)-  2('>,  1893;  one  which  died  at  birth  un- 
named, May  19,  1895;  Frederick  E.,  Novem- 
ber 23,  1899.  Mr.  Bush  has  in  additi<ni  to 
his  work  as  auctioneer  dealt  in  broomcorn  w.th 
Duncan  &  Tarbox,  of  .\rcola.  since  1888.  lie 
has  also  been  in  the  uudert.aking  business  in 
I  lindslioro  since  June  10,  181)7.  lie  was  one 
of  the  principal  organizers  oi  the  Court  i>f 
Honor  at  that  jilace  on  March  1,  1899,  of 
which  order  he  has  been  the'  worthy  chancel- 
lor since  its  organization.  This  order  is  in  a 
lloiu'ishiug  condition,  lia\'ing  initiated  about 
one  hundred  members.  He  was  elected  ilele 
gate  to  the  ounty  convention  of  the  Court  of 
1  hinor  January  9.  ii;oo;  frc.m  there  he  was 
elected  delegate  to  the  State  meeting  .at 
.Springfield  for  February  14.  i()00;  ami  at  the 
state  convent:<in  he  was  elected  tlelegate  to  the 
supreme  session,  which  was  held  in   I'eoria  on 


Mav 


i(;oo.      W'illirun    H.    lUisli   is  also 


a  member  of  the  Masonic  and  i.  O.  O.  F.  fra- 
ternities and  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
.\nierica.  He  stands  high  in  his  community, 
and  is  recognized  as  a  man  of  good  business 
.abililv;  he  has  filled  all  the  principal  oftices 
in  the  Odd  I'^ellows  lodge  of  Hindsboni.  as 
well  as  deputy  of  the  lodge  for  several  terms. 
He  also  represented  his  lodge  in  the  Gr;uid 
Lodge  at  Springfield  in  i8()3  ;md  1894.  .\t 
present  he  is  senior  deacon  in  the  A.   !•'.  &  .'\. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


iSi 


iM.  li)(lt^e  at  Ilindslxini:  lias  also  been  the  ven-  Haniimi,  nf  Cleniiniit  connlw  (  )liii).      In   iSo- 

erable  consul  of  1  liiulsln MM  Camp  No.  968,  M.  he   started    in    business   at    (  )aklancl    and    con 

W.  0I"  .\.,  and  served  as  worthy  banker  of  this  tinned  until    1S87,  when  be  nio\ed   to   Kansas 

camp   lor   four  successive  years.      He   has   in-  and  entei\'d  into  partnership  with  Ins  brothe;-, 

terested  himself  in  politics,  having  been  elected  W.   W.   Darr.  under  the  firm  name  of  W.   W. 

constable    of    liowdre    township    three    times;  liarr  >S:  Urother. 

has  also  served  as  trustee  of  the  village.  IMr.  His  wife  passed  awav  April  j.  iS^S,  lea\- 
liush  has  the  management  of  the  Douglas  iug  two  children.  .Stella  and  ( ienrge  11. 
County  Telejihone  Exchange,  located  in  his  hi  iSjc;  he  sfarte<l  in  business  in  .X'ewmaii 
residence  ;it  llind.sboro.  which  is  operateil  by  and  one  \ear  later  sold  his  interest  in  the  store 
his  eldest  daughter,  Zella  M.  I'.ush.  at  Kansas  to  his  brother  and  b,  mglit  tlie  lit- 
ter's interest  in  .Xewinan. 
In    i<S,Si    he  married    Miss    Mav   W.   Curd. 


J\.Mb:.S    i;.\UR. 

Among  the  many  successful  men  noted  for 
then-  l.iir  dealing  with  the  public  and  llu-ir  np- 
rightness  in  character,  who  have  made  die 
city  of  Xewnian  f.anioiis,  none  deser\e  more 
t'redit  than  James  I'.arr.  (  )ui'  subiect  was 
born  in  ('leriiioiit  couuiw  ()hi(i.  April  7,  iS_:;i), 
and  in  1S5J  uioxed  with  his  parents  to  Ch,-ir- 
lestoii.  ('oles  county.  Illinois,  where  he  w;is 
reared  .and  schooled.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
he  beg.an  the  traile  of  a  tinner,  which  he  m,a> 
tei'ed  and  ba^  coiitiuned  to  follow  llirougli 
lite.  \\  hen  he  w;is  but  ;i  bov  his  father  died. 
lea\ing  him  to  do  for  liini'-elf.  llis  eilnca- 
tioti.il  .id  \. 11 1 1  ages  were,  as  wa>  the  case  with  ,,f  W'wm.an.  and  to  this  union  one  son.  Cl.ay- 
m.iiiy   ot    the   pioneers.   \  ery   limited,   allliongh      tun    ('.,    was    born. 

he  rei'eueil  ;i    f.iir  business  education.      Ileiiig  hi    iSi;o  be  sold  a  half  inierest   in  his  Inisi- 

of  a  mechanical  turn  of  mind,  be  soon  became  ness  to  W.  !'".  .Summers.  Tbev  conilncted  the 
an  expert  workman.  During  the  lirsl  call  of  business  under  the  n.iine  of  l',.irr  iV  Summers 
the  Civil  w.ar  he  enlisted  in  the  baglith  lllilloi^  until  iNm^.  when  Ah'.  I'.arr  bought  Mr.  Sinn- 
V'olnnteer  liif;nitr_\-.  ami  remained  out  inilil  mers'  interest.  On  the  Stli  of  (tctipbi'r.  iSij^. 
the  end  ol  his  term  of  service,  after  which  be  our  subject's  son,  Ceorge  11.  Karr.  died  at  the 
returned   to   Charleston.  age    of    twenty-one    years,     four    months    .and 

In    i.S()4    Mr.   ILarr  m.arried    .Miss    bdiza    K.       foiirfeeii   davs. 


I82 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Ill  iSi/)  lie  siilil  ;i  half  interest  to  I.  M. 
MuUiken.  of  Cliaiiestun.  The  hrin  runs  un- 
der the  head  uf  Barr  &  Mulliken.  They  own 
two  uf  the  largest  stores  in  the  city,  one,  hard- 
ware, stoves  ami  tinware,  and  the  other,  fur- 
niture and  undertaking-,  where  a  full  line  of 
each  can  al\va\s  he  found  on  hand  James 
Barr  is  a  stanch  Repuhlican  and  has  heen 
elected  iiia\or  of  Neunian  three  times,  always 
making-  a  good  executix'e  officer.  He  is  a 
great  helie\er  in  secret  orders  and  is  ever 
ready  to  further  their  interests.  He  is  a 
prominent  Odd  Fellow  and  Mason ;  is  a  Knight 
Teni])lar.  heing  a  memher  of  the  Alelita  Com- 
mandery  No.  T,y.  at  Tuscola.  He  is  Eminent 
High  I'riest  in  .Vewnian  Chapter,  \o.  /2.  and 
is  the  president  of  the  Odd  Fellnws  Ceneiit 
Association  of  Douglas  county.  He  is  the 
son  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (  Wise)  Barr.  The 
former  was  li'im  in  Steuhein  ille,  ()liii).  in 
1800,  and  died  in  iS5().  The  latter  was  Ijurn 
in  Pennsyhaiii.a  in  1803  and  died  in  iSSo. 
Air.  Barr's  present  wife  is  the  daughter  nf 
Daniel  and  Fxaline  Curd,  of  near  l'"rankfiirt, 
Kentucky.  Daniel  Curd  was  l.xirn  in  iSoS 
and  Evaline  in  iSoi. 

Mr.  Jiarr  is  a  memher  uf  the  M.  E.  church 
ami  his  wife  is  a  nieniber  and  wnrker  in  the 
O.  K.  S.  and  Rehekah  hedges  of  Newman,  and 
is  a  leading  worker  in  the  Christian  church. 


ADOLPH    HAPKE. 


the  province  of  West  Prussia,  Germany.  May 
30,  1869,  and  is  a  son  of  Christ  and  Ciiristian 
(Schlack)  Plapke,  who  were  nati.ves  of  the 
same  province.  His  father  was  a  blacksmith 
hy  trade,  who  emigrated  to  this  country  in 
1871  and  located  in  Michigan  City,  Laporte 
county,  Indiana,  where  he  followed  his  trade 
and  also  engaged  in  farming.  He  resides  at 
present  four  and  one-half  miles  east  of  I\lichi- 
gan  City.  He  served  in  the  war  of  Germany 
against  Austria  in   1866. 


.\di>lpli  Il.-ipkc,  the  leading  jeweler  ;iml 
optician  and  one  of  the  rising  and  successful 
N'liuiig  business  men  of  Newman,  was  born  in 


.\ili>lpb  Hapke  received  a  C(.immon  school 
eilucaticiii  ;ind  ;it  the  age  of  sex'enteen  went  to 
Michigan  City,  where  he  serveil  an  apprentice- 
ship of  four  years  at  his  trade.  In  1898  he 
located  at  Newman,  haxing  previously  taken 
a  course  in  optics  at  the  Chicago  Oi)hthal- 
niology  College. 

On  October  11,  1899,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Josephine,  a  daughter  of  Enoch  Gordon, 
of  Newman.  .Vfler  his  luarriage  he  pur- 
chased the  residence  of  C.  E.  Eagler,  and  it  is 
one  of  the  elegantlv  furnished  homes  of  New- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


183 


man.  After  lii.s  marriage  tlic  Newman  In-  mentiuncd.  In  Fel)ruary.  i,Sf)_>.  lie  vulun- 
(Icpendent  spoke  of  him  as  follow.s:  "Mr.  teereil  in  tl:e  I'irst  Missouri  Regiment  of  In- 
Ilapke  came  to  Newman  about  two  years  ago,  fantry  ami  parlicijiated  in  mauv  of  the  priuci- 
and  since  then  his  dealings  with  our  people  have  pal  battles  of  liie  war,  remaining  out  until  its 
been  honorable,  and  he  has  formed  ties  nf  clo.se.  He  afterward  returned  home  and  en- 
friendship  that  will  always  last.  The  briile  gaged  in  farming,  and  succeeded  in  making 
is  one  of  Newman's  most  deserving  young  an  iKniest  living  and  securing^  the  good  opinion 
ladies,    who    was   graduated    in    the    sjiring   of  ,,f   his   neighbors.      His     farm    contain.s    only 


1891;   from  the  high  school  of  Newman   with 
honors." 

Mr.  Hapke  carries  a  large  stock  of  jew- 
elry, and  by  his  honest  and  upright  mode  of 
doing  l.iusiness  has  ])ut  himself  on  the  mail 
to  building  up  a  most  prosjierous  business. 


forty -four  acres,  but  he  is  .satisfied  with  if. 

In  18(17  oiu"  subject  was  united  in  marri;ige 
to   Miss   Sarah  Johnson,   a  d.aughter  of    I.    T. 


I.  M.  HAW  KINS. 


J.  .M.  Hawkins,  an  inlelligent  farnier.  who 
saw  three  years  of  ser\  ice  in  the  war  of  the 
Kcljt'llion.  is  a  son  of  jolni  Hawkins,  who 
was  born  near  llar])er's  l'"erry,  Virginia,  and 
who  came  to  Douglas  county  in  1  S3 1 .  and 
.settled  on  a  farm  three  mile.^  south  of  New 
man.  where  he  resi<led  .and  was  jirominent  in 
his    neighl)orhood    uji    until    his    death,    which 

occm-red  in  the  year  1880.  .\mong  some  more  Johnson,  win,  |iracticed  medicine  ;it  I'.onrbon 
ol  the  eai'lier  settlers  are  mentioned  L'ornelius,  u]>  to  1871.  when  he  iemo\ed  to  I'larlon  conn 
Robert  and  James  Hopkins,  Robert  .Mbin  and  [v.  .Missouri,  where  he  died  some  sixteen  years 
Enoch  .\ewell.  who  are  all  early  settlers  fioui  ago  at  the  .ige  of  sixty-four  years.  lie  was  a 
Indiana.  John  Hawkins  wedded  Margaret  natixe  of  ( )hio.  .Mr.  ll.awkins  is  a  member 
C'as.s.-uly,  ol  (  )hio,  but  a  native  of  \'irginia.  of  the  ( irand   .\rmy  of  the   Republic,   .M.isonic 

J.  M.  Hawkins  was  born  in  I'ickaway  fraternity  and  Knights  of  I'vlhias.  lie  is 
comity.  (  )liio.  I'"ebniary  5.  1831),  and  came  unassuniing  in  his  manner  ;uid  gentle  in  his 
to  Douglas  coniit\-  in  the  iall  of  the  vear  .above      conduct   tow,-iiil   his   fellow  men. 


1 84 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


ARRAM  11.  MOORE. 

Aliram  !l.  Mi)orc,  deceased,  father  of 
I'".(l\\;iiil  M.  and  Morris  L.  Moore,  was  1)()rii  in 
I'.nurliiiii    tdwnsliii),    Douolas   county,    Illinois, 


Deccniher  7.  1S38.  and  was  of  old  Virginia 
ancestry,  lie  died  May  11,  1SS3.  at  the  age 
of  forty-four  years.  His  fatlier  was  Jacob 
Rice  JMoore  anil  his  mother  .\manda  Moore 
(see  sketches  of  Wm.  F..  Jacob  R.,  Jr.,  and 
others.)  Abrani  H.  Moore  was  married  to 
Mary  E.  Miller,  of  Mattoon,  Illinois.  J.anuary 
31,  1865.  To  their  union  were  born  three 
children:  I'ldward  McClellan,  Morris  Logan, 
and  Mary  Catherine,  Morris  and  Kate  being 
twins.  .Mary  C"atherine  dieil  Seiitember  18, 
1890,  and  .Mary  E.  died  October  20,  1894. 
Abrani  11.  at  his  death  owned  a  farm  of  three 
liundrc<l  and  twenty  acres  in  I'ourbon  town- 
shp,  ailjdining  the  old  Moore  homestead.  He 
was  cf  a  sober,  industrious  disi)oS!tion  an.l 
\v;ui  highly  respected  by  his  large  cn^'jle  .1; 
friends  and  ntighbors.  He  was  an  invalid  lor 
five  years  prior  to  bi§  death. 


F.DW.  McC.  MOORE. 

Edw.  McC.  Moore,  the  oldest  son  of  .Mirani 
H.  and  Mary  E.  Moore  was  born  at  the  home 
of  his  father,  three  miles  west  of  Areola,  Bour- 
bon township,  Douglas  county,  Illinois,  Octo- 
lier  20,  1865.  He  secured  his  education  in  the 
neighborhood  schools.  At  the  age  of  si.Kteen 
vears  Mr.  Moore  left  school  on  account  of  the 
death  of  his  father  and  took  charge  of  ilie 
farm,  and  he  has  been  successful  as  a  farmer, 
stock  rai.ser  and  feeder.  In  1893  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Lena  Kelley,  a  daughter  of  .Mr. 
Benjamin  Kelley.  who  was  an  early  settler  in 
}*Ioultrie  county,  from  Kentucky.  At  present 
he  spends  most  of  his  time  among  his  child'cn, 
in  Florida,  California,  .  Kansas,  Washington, 
Nebraska  and  Ill'nois.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Moore  two  very  interesting  children  have  been 
born:  .\lbert  Henry  and  Mary  Vivian.  Mr. 
Moore  owns  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 


well    improxx'd    laiui, 


had   some   ex- 


perience in  office.     He  is  of  good  moral  char- 
acter and  his  friends  are  many. 


BIOGRAFJllCAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


185 


MORRIS  L.  MOORE. 

Morris  Logan  Moore,  son  of  Abram  H. 
and  Mary  E.  Moore,  was  liorn  April  28,  iSCnj. 
at  tlie  Iiome  of  his  father,  three  miles  west  of 
.\rccihi.    TUinois,    in    ISonrlion    townsiiij),    and 


"^  "^ 

W    V                  1 

^J% 

pBhs.-^' 

k .     . 

owns  and  lives  on  the  old  home,  C(.)nsisting'  of 
twi)  liniulrcd  and  tea  acres  of  well  improved 
land,  lie  received  h's  early  training  at  the 
Cdmuion  country  schools  and  attended  Lee's 
Academy  at  Lo.\a,  lllnois,  one  year,  I'mf. 
Lee  heing  one  nf  the  eminent  educators  of  his 
lime.  Later  he  attended  the  normal  at  Val- 
paraiso, Indiana,  for  a  period  of  two  years, 
where  he  pu^^ued  the  scientific  and  teacher's 
course,  .\fter  leaving  collage  he  taught  schonl 
for  one  year  and  then  traveled  extensively 
throughout  the  west  and  southwest.  lie  is  un- 
married, has  served  his  township  as  collector 
for  two  years,  and  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  in 
high  standing.  Courteous,  (juiet,  well  informed 
and  enterprising,  he  stands  as  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative and  successful  voung  business  men  of 
the  county. 


J.  PARK  McGEE,  M.  D. 

J.  Park  j\lc(jcc.  M.  I).,  a  prominent  and 
well  known  citizen  of  r.rushy  I'ork,  and 
closely  identified  with  the  material  interests  of 
the  county,  was  I)orn  Janu.ary  5,  1847,  in 
Clark  county.  Indiana,  and  is  a  son  of  William 
Park  McGee,  a  native  of  Washington  county, 
Pennsylvania,  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction. 
He  was  a  saddler  by  trade,  and  a  son  of  Rob- 
ert McGee,  who  was  an  early  settler  in  i'enn- 
sylvania.  The  Park  family  are  a  very  prom- 
mcnt  family  of  Washington  county.  Pennsyl- 
\ania,  and  the  oUl  homestead  still  belongs  to 
John  P;u"k.  of  the  third  generat'on  from  Isa- 
bella Park.  Our  su1}ject's  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Tamar  Tom.  was  l)orn  in 
the  oil  regions,  on  the  .Allegheny  river  in  Al- 
legheny county,  Pennsylvan'a.  His  father 
was  born  on  the  Monongahela  ri\-er.  in 
Washington    county,    the    same    state.     The 


Doctor's  grandmother.  Isabella  Park  iMc- 
Gee,  was  a  daughter  of  John  Park  and  sister 
n{     Hueh     Park.       William      Park     McGee 


1 86 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  KiSTORlCAL. 


(father)  learned  his  trade  in  Pittshurg,  emi- 
grated ahout  the  year  1820,  on  a  flat-boat  to 
Louisville.  Kentucky,  hut  settled  across  the 
river  in  Xew  Charlestown.  Clark  county,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  farmed  and  followed  his  trade. 
He  died  April  2y,  1862,  and  is  buried  in 
Owen  Creek  cemetery. 

J.  Park  McGee  was  reared  in  Clark  coun- 
ty, and  was  principally  educated  in  Wabash 
College,  taking  an  irregular  course  with  the 
object  in  view  of  preparing  himself  for  his 
profession,  remaining  in  this  college  three 
years.  He  subse(iuently  read  medicine  with 
Dr.  \\'(irk,  of  Charlestuwn.  entereil  the  Eclectic 
College  of  Cincinnati  and  was  graduated  in 
1872.  He  afterward  took  one  course  of  lec- 
tures in  the  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chicago, 
;ind  had  a  complimentary  degree  conferred 
upon  him  Ijy  the  faculty  of  this  well-known 
institution  in  1887.  He  was  elected  to  the 
Legiskiture  fnun  the  Uepuljlican  district  coin- 
])osed  of  Douglas,  Coles  ami  Cumljerland 
counties,  in  1884,  1888  and  1892.  He  was 
elected  as  a  Democrat  and  at  each  re-election 
carried  the  district  by  increased  majorities. 
He  assisted  in  jiassing  the  bill  to  legal  ze  ilis- 
secting.  and  for  so  doing  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege conferred  upon  him  a  complimentary  de- 
gree. During  the  first  term  he  was  chairman 
of  the  sanitary  committee,  and  member  of  ap- 
propriation, education,  insurance,  re\'enue  and 
railroads  committees.  Dr.  jMcGee  is  one  of 
the  pioneer  silver  men  of  the  state,  as  pro- 
claimetl  in  the  Chicago  platform  of  1896,  and 
was  a  delegate  who  took  a  prominent  part  in 
the  state  convention  at  Springliekl  in  1895, 
the  first  silver  state  convention  ever  held. 
The  Doctor  located  at  Brushy  Fork  in  1874, 
and   lias  practiced   his    profession    there    ever 


since.  In  )8()4  he  joined  Company  K,  One 
Hundred  Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
ser\ed  to  the  e-\[)iration  of  his  term  of  enlist- 
ment, and  he  has  a  certificate  of  thanks  from 
P'-esuient  Lincoln  for  services  rendered  \\\s 
country.  He  owns  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
of  land;  is  a  Knight  Templar  in  ^Masoi'ry,  and 
has  never  been  married.  He  will  visit  the 
Paris  Fair  this  year  and  make  a  tour  of  Eu- 
rope. Dr.  McGee's  life  has  been  a  busy  one 
and  during  all  the  years  of  his  residence  in  the 
township  the  time  has  been  fully  taken  up  in 
what  he  conceived  to  lie  his  public  and  private 
duty.  He  is  a  man  of  unquestionable  integ- 
rity, honesty  in  his  business  transactions,  and 
generous  in  his  disposition,  w'th  a  wide  char- 
ity for  mankind. 

CHARLES  F.  JEXXE. 

I 

Charles  F.  Jenne  is  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful merchants  and  enterprising  luisiness 
men  of  Douglas  county,  res'dhig  at  Arthur, 
where  h.e  and  his  partner,  Fred  B.   Beckman, 


I 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


187 


own  and  conduct  twu  lars^e  stnres,  one  a  t^Tn-  He  lias  a  rc'markal)k-  UKMnnrv.  ami  pmhalilv 
oral  lia.nlwaie  estahlishnicnt  and  the  citlur  knew  more  nf  the  early  liist.ii-\-  nf  Ddip'las 
Inrnitnre  and  nndertakint^'.  He  has  resided  and  Coles  cnunlies  than  an\  1  .llier  man  witliin 
a!     Arllun'    since     1NX5,   and    was   in   hnsiness       their  linunds. 

alone   nntil   three  years  a^o   when   lie  took   in  lie   was  hcjrn   in   Cnniherland    \alley.  near 

his  jiresent  partner.  Since  his  residence  in  1  larrishnrt;-.  renns\lvania.  Deceniher  _>-.  iXi^. 
Arthur  he  has  always  given  his  support  to  all  1  h'or  further  facts  jiertaining  to  ancestry,  see 
worthy  enterprises  calculated  to  i)roniote  the  work  of  Dr.  luigle.  state  lihrarian  of  I'enn- 
welfare  of  his  town  and  countw  ami  is  \alued  s\l\ania.  on  earlv  families  of  the  Cunitierland 
as  a  citizen  hy  the  entire  community.  \alley.  )      Dr.  Hiram  Rutherford,  after  attend 

Charles  F.  Jenne  was  horn  in  l\o>>  county,       ing  jeti'erson  L'iii\ersit\-,  commenced  the  prac- 
Ohio.  in    1S53  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  W.  and       lice  of  med-cine  at  the  age  of  tw eut\-di\e  vears. 
Mary    (  .Smitli  )    Jenne.    who    were    iiatixes   of      al   .M  illershurg.  PcunsvlNauia. 
( iermany.      Me  was  reared  and  educated  in  the 
common    schools    of    Ross  countx.  (  )hio.      In 
iSSii  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  .Miss  .Sallie 
].  Warren,  a  daughter  of  T.  T.  Warren,  a  na- 
ti\e    of     Douglas    county.      .Mr.      |enne    is    a 
Mason  an<!  takes  deep  interest  in   Masonic  af- 
fairs,    lia\ing     ser\ed     as     m.aster   of    Arthur 
Lodge,  Xo.  Sjt.  foi-  three  \ears. 


THOMAS  H.  RCTIiFRFOKD. 

Thomas  1|.  Rntheifoid,  the  ])rcsent  su]i:r- 
\isor  of  .\ewnian  town^-hip.  .iiid  ,,ik.  i,f  d^. 
acknowledged    leader^    in    fai-niing   .-s    well    as 

ill  poluical  a(fair>  of  D,nigl;is  county,  was  horn  Thomas    11.    Rniherford    i-ecei\ed    his  edu- 

at     (  )aklau(l.    Coles    county.    Illinois,    January  cation   in  the  schools  of  ()akland.  ,and  011  (  )c- 

K',   I.S33.      lie  Is  a  son  of  Dr.   llir.am   Rutlier-  toher    13,    1874.  he  was  united   in  marri.age  to 

ford,  .settling  there  in  the  year  1X40.  one  of  the  Miss    Sarah     R.    Zmimerm.an.   ,a    daughter  of 

pioneers,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  w.is  J,,hn    1',.   /immerm.an.   who  settled   in  Oakland 

one  of  the  oldest  ])liysicians  in  eastern   Illinois.  township  in    iS^^j.      -I-,,    them  h.axeheeii   horn 

and  one  of  the  largest    hand    owners  as  well.  tour   children:   Cyrus    W..    I'.essie    (deceased), 

lie  h.as  written  much  of  the  early  settlers,  es-  Hiram     1',..    ;md     K.atie.      .Mr.    Rutherl'onl    re- 

pecially  of  the  eccentric  ones  of  this   region.  sides   on   In.s   heautiful    farm   uf   twu   liundred 


i88 


BIOGRAPIIICAI,  AND  HISTORICAL. 


and  forty  acres,  just  mirth  of  Newman,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  inlliiential  leaders  of  the 
Kepuhhcan  party  in  the  county.  He  lias  heen 
school  treasnrei'  of  township  No.  i6.  ran<^-e 
II.  since  the  spring  of  i.SjO.  In  1885  he  was 
elected  co'.nmissioner  of  highways  and  he'd 
that  office  until  Decemher.  i8go.  when  he  re- 
signed to  be  apjiointed  supervisor  to  hll  the 
\acancy  of  L.  E.  Root,  who  was  elected  comity 
treasurer.  He  was  re-elected  supervisor  in 
1892.  also  in  1894.  and  was  elected  chairman 
of  the  hoard  in  i8(;3  and  18Q4.  He  ;s  now 
a  memher  of  the  committee  on  li -lar.cj.  re- 
funding of  tax  and  ]iulil'c  huild  ngs  and 
grounds.  Socirllv  he  helongs  to  the  Newmaui 
RUie  l-odge  and  is  ]>ast  high  priest  1  f  the 
ko)aI  .\rch  Masons,  Newman  Chapter,  No. 
1 72.  and  is  also  a  member  of  INlelita  Coni- 
mandery.  No.  37.  Knights  Templar;  is  a 
Knight  of  r^-lhias  and  a  inenil)er  of  the  Mod- 
ern  Woodmen. 

Air.  Rutherford  is  v  man  of  action  and 
1/Usincss  ca])acitv.  and  whatever  cause  he  es- 
]3ouses  he  generalh'  carr.es  through  success- 
fulh'.  with  a  \;m  and  earnestness  which  are 
in  a  high  degree  characteristic  qualities  of  his 
makeup. 


JOSEPH  S.  WA'ETll. 

Joseph  S.  W'yeth  was  for  many  years 
]>re\'ious  to  his  death  prominently  identiiied 
w  ith  the  affairs  of  Douglas  county.  He.  with 
his  brother.  L.  J.,  and  their  wives,  came  to 
Coles  county  in  1850  and  settled  on  farms  foiu" 
miles  scjuth  of  Hindshoro,  where  they  re- 
mainetl    until     i860,   when    they    removed   to 


Tuscola  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business. 
The  partnership  lasted  four  years,  when  it  was 
disso]\'ed,  L.  J.  remaining  in  the  business  and 
Jose])h  S.  locating  on  a  farm  in  (jarrett  town- 
ship where  his  widow^  now  resides.  This  was 
in  1864.  (  l""or  a  very  full  and  complete  an- 
cestry of  the  W'yeth  family  see  sketch  of  L. 
J.  W'yeth  on  another  Jiage). 

From     the     Tuscola     Review:      "Tuesday 
morning,   at    his    home    in   (iarrett   township. 


Joseph  S.  W'yeth.  a  pioneer  resident  rmd  farm- 
er of  Douglas  county,  departed  this  life.  He 
was  seventv  vears  and  two  nioiuhs  old. 

"Deceased  was  born  in  l''ranklin  county. 
Massachusetts,  ■  April  15,  i8j8.  In  1850  he 
Avas  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Joanna  Hunt 
in  Cicking  county,  Ohio.  Mrs.  W'yeth  and 
six  children  survdve  him,  and  two  children 
long  since  ])recedetl  their  father  to  the  grave. 
Mr.  W'yeth  had  been  in  poor  health  for  many 
vears,  and  the  last  few  years  of  his  life  seldom 
left  the  home  place." 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


189 


"At  one  time  lie  was  quite  a  wealtliy  man 
and  was  a  larg'e  dealer  in  live  stuck,  but  ow- 
in<;'  to  failini;'  health  he  was  ohli^ed  ti>  retire 
Irnm  aetixe  lite  a  uumher  <if  \-cars  'Ap;n.  He 
leaves  his  family  well  provided  for.  Thdse 
who  best  know  him  speak  of  Mr.  \\'_\elh  in 
the  highest  praise  as  a  citizen.  nei,t;hl)i>r  and 
Christi.HU  man.  Dnrin;;-  his  life  he  fullnwed 
the  hihle  injimctiim  to  'do  unto  dtliers  as  vnu 
wnuld  have  them  do  untu  \'ou.'  ami  he  went 
t(i  the  ,i^ra\e  honored  and  respected  1  y  all  who 
knew   him. 

"I'^meral  scr\-ices  were  lieM  at  _'  < /clock 
yesterday  afternoon  at  ("artwrii^ht  chin-ch, 
Kev.  Ciec).  Rippey  ofliciatinL;',  and  it  wa^  one 
of  the  lari^est  finierals  ever  held  in  ( i.arrett 
Ic  iwnshi])." 

.Mrs.  Wyc'lh.  his  widow,  is  a  dau.'^iiter  of 
I'llijah  Hunt  and  Rhoda  (llillyer)  llnnt,  who 
were  born  respectively  in  X'ermont  .and  Con- 
necticut and  were  en<^;i.t;ed  in  aqricnllure  pur- 
suits. I'dijah  Hunt,  her  father,  was  in  the 
war  ol  iSij.  llis  death  occurred  l''ehruarv 
iJ.  1N73.  in  the  sexeuty-seventh  vear  of  his 
aoe.  Her  tjrandl'ather,  Justin  Ilillver.  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier.  Her  .L;randt"ather 
Hunt  was  a  native  of  X'ermont.  To  .Mr.  and 
-Mrs.  Wyetli  were  horn  the  t'ollowin;;-  children: 
Rhuda.  wife  of  W.  \\.  I'.rentou,  of  I  ,a  S.alle, 
Illinois;  iM-anklin  L.  f.armer  in  (iarrett  town- 
ship; Harry  L..  also  a  f.armer  in  the  .saiue 
township;  .Su.san.  wil'e  nf  Joseph  ( Ire.g'ory,  of 
(iarrett  townshi]);  I.nell;i.  wil'e  of  William 
Romine,  of  C.arrett.  ;md  Daisy,  who  is  the 
wile  of  John  I'.urk,  ;i  luerchant  of  C.arrett. 
The  farm  upon  which  .Mrs.  Wycth  resides 
is  owned  by  her  ;md  two  of  her  sons  and  con- 
tains three  hundreil  .and  thirlv-se\en  acres. 


WILLIAM  T.  MOORE. 

William  T.  Moore,  generally  known  as 
!-^(|uire  Moore,  is  a  leading  citizen  and  farmer 
of  .Areola  township,  and  is  a  member  of  one  of 
the  earliest  and  most  ])roiuincnt  f.amilies  in 
Dou.glas  county.  He  was  liorn  in  I'.arke 
county.  Indiana.  Septeiuber  5.  1830.  and  is  ;i 
son  of  Jacob  Mo(ire.  the  ]Moneer  of  the  f.amily 
in  the  county,  who  w.as  a  native  of  Kentuckv. 


'S(|uire  Moore"s  grandfather.  .Mnah.un 
Moore,  anil  his  wife.  n;iti\cs  of  X'irginia.  were 
early  settlers  in  .Shclh\'  ciuintv.  Kentucky, 
where  they  s])ent  the  rem.ainiler  of  their  li\es. 
'Sqmfe  Moore  i'cmo\ed  with  his  parents  from 
I'arke  county  to  w  h.at  is  now  known  ;is  the 
Moore  neighborliood  when  he  was  but  four 
}'cars  old.  Here  he  grew  to  m.auhood  ;md 
(jbtainecl  the  ad\ant;iges  of  an  ordin.arv  school 
education.  in  183')  he  w.as  unite<l  in  m,ar- 
riage  to  M.arg.arct  Iv.  l.outh.an.  who  is  ;i 
daughter    of    John    ;uid     .M.argaret     (Carter^ 


IQO 


BIOGRAPHTCAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Lontlian,  l)otli  of  whom  were  born  in  Fred- 
erick county,  Virginia,  she  being  the  youngest 
of  twelve  cbil(b-cn.  John  Louthan  was  born 
Decemlier  ii,  1779.  and  (h'cd  May  7,  1864. 
He  first  removed  to  Edgar  county,  and  in  1844 
settled  on  the  Okaw  in  Bourbon  township, 
where  he  bought  about  one  thousand  acres  of 
land.  He  was  a  son  t)f  Henry  Louthan,  who 
was  a  native  Scotchman.  His  wife  was  a 
daughter  nf  .\rthur  Carter,  who  was  born  in 
Ireland,  and  who  later  emigrated  and  lived  in 
Virginia. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  T.  ^Moore  ha\T  been 
born  six  ch'ldren:  Sarah  M..  living  at  home: 
Charles  A.  and  Ferdinand,  who  arc  pnnninent 
farmers  in  Ci-lcs  county;  Laura,  who  is  the 
widow  of  Riihcrt  Ijlack  (see  sketch),  and  re- 
sides in  .\rcola:  .Alice  11.  and  Henry.  Mr. 
Moore  has  for  eighteen  years  filled  the  office 
of  justice  of  tlic  peace,  has  served  three  terms 
as  township  collector,  and  two  terms  as  as- 
sessor. He  owns  one  hundred  and  ninety 
acres,  and  the  old  homestead  and  one  hundred 
and  tweiny  acres  in  Coles  county.  He  has 
been  t\venty-fi\-e  years  a  Mason  and  a  member 
of  the  .\rcola  lotlge  and  chapter,  and  is  also 
an  Odd  Fellow.  He  is  well  known  and  popu- 
lar with  all  classes  of  people  and  is  one  of  the 
stanch  Democrats  of  the  countv. 


BENJAMIN  W.  GERE. 

r)Cnjamin  W.  Gere,  a  talented  young  law- 
yer of  Areola,  with  Ijrilliant  prospects  in  the 
legal  profession,  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
the  courts  (if  Illinois  in  I'ebruary,   1897,  after 


having  read  law  in  tlie  ofiice  of  Barrick  & 
Cofer,  of  Areola. 

Mr.  Gere  was  born  January  23,  187 1,  at 
Bourbon,  and  is  a  son  of  Warren  B.  and  Jen- 
nie (Thompson)  (iere.  His  father  has  been 
engaged  in  the  grain  business  all  his  Hfe  and 
is  one  of  Areola's   highly   respected   citizens. 

Mr.  Gere,  in  i)artnership  with  Mr.  .\lbert 
Snvder,  act  as  agents  for  fifteen  of  the  leading: 


fire  insurance  companies  of  the  country.  He 
has  served  Areola,  most  efficiently  as  city  at- 
torney. In  the  recent  race  for  county  attor- 
ney Mr.  (icre  was  a  candidate  and  had  many 
friends  throughout  the  county,  but  the  con- 
ditions \vere  such  that  would  force  the  nonn- 
nation  of  Mr.  Chadwick,  so  Mr.  Gere  with- 
diew:  hy  doing  so  it  will  no  doubt  increase 
ins  chances  four  years  hence.  He  owns  prob- 
al)ly  the  second  largest  law  library  in  the 
county,  and  is  rapidly  forging  to  the  front  in 
his  profession.  In  political  o]iinion  he  is  a 
stanch  Republican  and  takes  an  active  interest 
in  bis  p.arty's  success. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   AND   HISTORICAL.  191 

TQTTY    \     PFFnFP     Tr  which  is  a  ])art  of  ihe  nld  hnnicstead,  and  de- 
servedly ranks  as  one  of  tlie  repulahle  citizens 

John  A.  Reeder.  Jr..  wlio  is  one  of  tlie  lead-  c'f  the  county. 

ii.g  farmers  in  Bourbon  township,  was  horn  in  

Darke  county,  (^hio.  Octolier  3.   JS54.  and  is  a 

son  of  John  A.  and  Mary  B.  (  Harter  )   Reeder,  D-\NIEL  W    RFED 

natives  of  the  same  county  in  Ohio.     John  .\. 

Reeder  remo\-ed  to  Douglas  county  and  located  Daniel  W.  Reed,  the  popular  and  acconinio- 

wherehisson  John  A.  now  resides.    .After  com-  liatint;'  deputy  countv  clerk,  was  Imrn  in  Tus- 

in.^'  to  the  county  he  rented  for  eii^ht  years  and  cola.  March   1  1.  1864.     He  is  a  son  of  John  T. 

then  purchased  two  Iiundred  and  fifty  acres  of  and  Annie  (Walters)   Reed,  who  were  nati\-es 

land  and  later  became  one  of  the  inlluential  citi-  of  Pennsylvania.     John  T.  Reed  was  i-earcd  !.■ 

zens  of  Bourbon  townshi]).     His  death  occurred  manhood  in  PennsyKania.  where  he  learned  tlu' 

\v   iS(;j  ni  tlie  se\  euty-se\entli  year  of  his  a.i;e.  tailor's  trade,  at  which  he  wurkeil  in  his  \-ouny'- 

He  was  also  a  very  successful   trader  in  both  cr  da_\s.  and  in   oSOj  came  to  Illinois  and  set- 

n-al   estate  and   buying  and   selling  li\e  stock.  tied  on  .1  farm  in  Tuscola  township. 

{  b'or  further  facts  <d"  the  family  see  sketch  of  Daniel    W.    Reed  grew  to  maturity  on  tlie 

brotlier  at  (larrett.  )  farm  ;iud   was  engaged  in  school  teaching   foi- 

John  A.  Reeder  was  united  in  mai'riage  to  se\en  years,  haxing  been  princi]),ill\-  educated 
.Miss  .Mary  A.  Corbett  in  1 NS 1 .  .Slie  is  a  at  the  l):ui\ille.  Indian.a.  Normal  .School,  b'or 
daughter  of  Michael  Corbett.  of  .\rtbur,  who  two  years  Mr.  \\LX-i\  ser\ed  efiicientlv  and  ac- 
was  born  in  Ireland  in  iXjj.  emigrated  to  this  ceptably  to  the  citizens  of  Tuscola  on  the  citv 
couiUry  in  1X4(1  and  was  for  fixe  years  em-  police  force.  in  1 NS7  he  was  united  in  mar- 
ployed  on  .Mississii)])i  river  steamboats,  after  riage  to  Miss  Alice  Price,  .and  to  their  mar- 
which  he  located  in  S.angamou  comity  ami  ]iur-  riage  ha\e  been  born  two  lovrK  clnldreii  :  1  ,n- 
chaseil  fifty  acres  of  l.aud.  ]>aying  ten  dollars  cile  and  Louise.  Mr.  Reed  is  a  member  of  the 
per  ;icre.  .\fter  working  ;md  im]iro\ing  it  for  .Masoinc  fr;iternit\-  ,iud  aPo  of  the  Woodmen, 
two  years  he  sold  it  for  fifty  dol];irs  per  ;icre.  In  pnhticd  opinion  In-  Ims  ,dw,i\s  been  ;i  con- 
lie  then  came  fi  d  )oug]as  county,  where  he  pur-  sistent  Republican  ,aii<l  ;m  effecliNc  worker  in 
chased  laud  for  nine  doll.irs  |>er  ;Hre,  ]iart  ni  ti,,.  r.niks  "\  his  |),irt\-.  .\s  an  officer  he  is  al- 
w.hicl:  be  afterward  sold  for  one  luindred  .and  niosi  um\ersally  liked  by  the  people  throughout 
twenty  li\'e  dollars  ])er  .acre,  in  iS3,S  he  mar-  houglas  coiuitv. 
ried  Miss  b'.lizabeth  N'ork,  of  .S.ang.anion  comi- 
ty. Mr.  Corbett  is  living  a  retired  life  ;it  .\r- 
thur.  ROBERT  F.  MiLLIC.X.V. 

To   Mr.   .ami    Mrs.   Reeder  have  been  born 

five    children:       Harry,    aged    si.xteen    years:  Robert    E.    Milligau,    the    accommodating 

Bertha,  fifteen:  George,  thirteen:  iM-ed.  eleven,  and    gentleiuanly   liveryman   of   Tuscola,   who 

anil   Katie.      He   owtis   ninety   acres  of   laml,  succeeded  Dr.  Ramsey  to  his  business  in  1897, 


192 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


was  l)(irn  in  Lawrence  county,  Illinois.  Novem- 
ber 24.  1856.  He  was  reared  to  nianhoiMl  on 
a   farm  in   his  native  county  and   is  a  son  of 


David  Milligan.  wlm  was  alscj  Imrn  in  Law- 
rence county  and  wlm  was  a  son  of  Jnhn  Mil- 
lisan  will  I  emigrated  from  Scntland  in  the 
earl\  ilavs  and  later  hecaine  an  early  settler  in 
l,awrence  county.  Rcliei't  I''..  Milli,i;uu's 
niiither.  i'dvir.i  (IrdUt.  was  a  daut;hter  k\  Nay- 
ham  (  inml.  a  nali\e  nf  X'erniniu. 

Kdhert  I',.  Milli.L;an.  like  maii\  nihcr  suc- 
cessful men.  ha-  made  hi-^  '  >\\  n  way  llir(iUL;h 
jil'e  unaided.  His  rule  nf  life  has  e\er  heen 
one  of  strict  inlej^rity.  and  \\liate\er  he  does 
he  does  well.  In  maiuier  he  is  i)leasant  and 
yenial,  easilv  making-  frieuils  and  holding 
them. 

In  1879  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Mis.s  Mary  Butler,  of  Lawrence  c<iuiUy.  Illi- 
nois. They  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  (ier- 
trude.  ;\Ir.  Alilligan  and  wife  are  consistent 
member-s  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


JAMES  A.  RlCini  AX. 

Jaiues  .\.  Richman  is  one  of  the  best  known 
farmers  in  Douglas  county,  and  owns  one  of 
the  finest  and  best  improved  farms  and  most 
beautiful  homes  in  the  county.  His  farm  is 
situated  in  the  northern  part  of  Camargo 
township,  and  his  residence  is  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  west  of  Villa  (h-ove. 

Mr.  Richman  was  born  near  Camargo,  Bli- 
uois,  Se])tember  1,:;.  1844,  and  is  the  third  son 
(jf  David  Richman.  He  grew  to  manhood  on 
his  father's  farm  near  Camargo.  and  in  18^4 
\olunteered  in  the  Civil  war  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  (i.  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
fifth  Regiment.  In  1865  Mr.  Richman  was 
mustered  out  of  the  service  and  returned  to  his 
former  home,  and  in  Noveiuber  of  the  same 
year  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Williams,  who 
is  a  daughter  of  John  Williams,  a  native  of 
Kentucky.      The  latter  was  a  yolunteer  in  the 


I  nion  .arniv.  and  died  while  in  the  service  in 
18(12.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richman  have  been 
born   six   children,   five   of   whom   are   living; 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  193 

Franklin  and  Charlie,  both  eng-agecl  in  farm-  Illinois,  they  settled  on  the  head  of  the  T>ittle 

ing':   Hattie.    wife   of   Dr.    Gilniure,    of     \'illa  X'erniilion    ri\er.      Ilere   tliev   lixed   on    rented 

Gro\'e :  Gnv.  a  lelegraph  operator  in  Tnseola.  land.  ;ind  raised  two  erops.      In  eonipany  uilli 

and  J'lhn.  at  home.      An  infanl  dangiUer  died  one    Moses    llrailshow,    ,Mr.    Richman's    father 

in  J.anuary,    1875.  \isited    the   Enih.arr.ass  timber  on  a  bee  hnnl. 

In  1869  Mr.  kiehman  bought  one  hnndred  In  eight  or  ten  (l;i\'s  the\'  got  three  or  four  bar- 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  u])on  which  the  home-  rels  of  honev.  Mr.  Kiehman  was  so  well 
stead  nc)w  stands,  and  in  .\pril  ol  the  same  pleased  with  the  land  in  the  neighhi  irlK"  "1  of 
year  he  mo\ed  upon  it.  I'.y  hard  labur  and  where  the\'  encamped  tliat  he  resoKed  to  i-e- 
shrewd  management  Mr.  Kiehman  was  enabled  ninxe  to  that  conntr\-  and  lake  up  some  of  the 
\v<>u\  time  to  time  to  bu\-  mi  ire  land,  and  now  wild  land  there.  Tin'  famil\-  left  N'ermilion 
he  has  ei|ui])ped  one  ol  tlie  largest  and  best  counts'  in  Mav  fnllnwing  and  settled  on  the 
stock  farms  in  the  county,  he  having  devnted  k'nibarrass  timber  one-half  mile  west  of  Cam- 
much  of  his  lime  tu  the  raising  of  cattle  and  argo.  There  was  n^l  ani>ther  famih'  of 
hogs.  Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Kiehman  are  members  whites  li\ing  in  the  jiresent  limits  1  >f  tlu' count\' 
of  the  M.  v..  church  at  X'illa  ( iroNC,  and  are  .at  the  lime.  Thei'e  were  no  settlers  north  of 
always  anmng  the  lirst  to  gi\e  fur  the  aid  of  t_'harleston.  I'"or  a  \'ear  they  rem.aineil  the 
the  poor  and  needy.  Mr.  Kichm.an  has  .always  only  famiU'  in  the  connt\'.  In  abiml  i-ighti'i'n 
been  ,a  strong  suiipurter  mI  the  1  )t'inocr;itic  mouths  .after  their  ;n"ri\;d  the\'  h;id  a  neighliDr 
party.  in    Isa.ac   .Mdss.   wlm  settled   almnt   ;i   mile  I'.ast 

jame^  .\.   Kiehman  i^  :i  nu'inber  iit   the  nld  of   the   ]>resent    tnwu     nf     Cam.argn.      The    In 

and   pi'dminenl    Kiclim.iii    l.innlx'   which   enjuvs  diaus  were  in  the  neighbnrhdod  for.abnut  thiee 

the    distinctiiiu    ol     bemg     the     ohlest     settled  \'ears  alter  their  ;na'i\;d.      I '.ridge])ort  nciw  oc- 

family    in    the   cntint\-.    his   grandfather,    John  cupies   the   site    of     their    old     \illage.      The_\' 

.\.    Kii'hman.   h.axing   been   the  nldest    resident  came    in    the    f;dl    and    rem.ained    o\er    winti'r. 

in   the  coimly   at    the   time  of   his   death.      lie  and    in    the   spring     jdinairxi'd     further   nnrtli, 

liicated   here  oxer   three-(|uarters  nl    a   century  wherr  tluw  s]ient  tlu'  >ummer.     The  lir^t  siim- 

;ign,    i1k-   lirst   jiermanent    while   settler   in    tlie  uier  the  Kichm.ans  li\e<l  in  a  rough  cam])  built 

di^tiict    uiiw     embraced    in    l).>ugi,as    eonnty.  of  logs  split   in  twn.      They  commenced   f.arm 

The    Kichm.ans   are   nf    l'"ngli.sh     ;uid     ( leian.an  ing  by  trying  to  bi'e.ak   the  pr.airie.  but    fnuud 

descent.      l)a\id   Kicbm.an   w.as  Imi-u  in  (ireen-  their   teams   too   weak    f(jr   tliis.   ;md    si  >  began 

iM'ier  cnunt)-.  West  X'ii'gini.a.  (  )etiibcr  _'5,  i8iC>.  wm-k  in  the  timber.      Tlu'\'  kt']it  ;il  work",  clear 

When  in  his  eleventh  year  his  f.amily  left  \'ir-  ing,    breaking    ;mil    pl.inling.    till    llu'    lotli    of 

ginia.      JmIiu    .\.    Kiehman.    his    fatlu'i-,    li.ad    a  jnly.  when  iht-y  snt-ceeiK^d  in  ]>ntting   fourti'cn 

Large  f.amily  i>f  children  .and  w.antt'd  mure  land,  .acres  in  with  I'oru.      The\'  then  beg.an  work  ,at 

heuci'   his   i-emo\al    Irom    \'irgini,a    to    llliuuis.  building   a   house.      The   lu^s   were   hewn   out. 

'1  1r'  cattle,  sheeii  ,and  Imrses  cnuld  nut  be  sold  ruid    ]),irl   1  lu    the   ground,   when   se\er<al    mem 

at   liouu".  ,anil  si  1  were  dri\cn  to  their  western  lier>  of  tlu-   f;uuil\-   were  t.akeii  dowu   with   the 

de^linatinu.      .\rri\nig    in    \'ermili(in     ciiunt\-,  ague,    se\en    out    of   fle\en,     and     for     several 


194 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


months  were  able  to  dn  ndlhing  whatever. 
Their  house  was  nol  \)u[  up  in  consequence 
till  the  succeeding  summer.  This  house  may 
still  he  seen  in  a  good  state  of  preservation, 
just  north  of  the  railroad  and  half  a  mile  west 
of  Camargo.  For  many  years  the  family  en- 
dured the  hardships  and  inconveniences  of  pio- 
neer life.  Their  pork  was  sold  for  (me  dollar 
and  a  half  to  two  dollars  a  hundred,  but  they 
saved  a  little  money  even  at  these  prices  and  in- 
vested it  in  land,  till  finally  the  amount  reached 
seven  hundred  acres. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three  David  Rich- 
man  was  married  to  Ruth  Haines,  a  native  of 
Ohio.  To  them  were  born  seven  children : 
John,  George,  James,  Samuel,  William,  Tay- 
lor and  David,  of  whom  John,  George  and 
David  are  deceased.  Mr.  Richman's  life  was 
full  of  hardships  and  exposure.  In  1S32  he 
contracted  a  severe  ci>ld,  which  settled  upon 
his  lungs  and  soon  resulted  in  his  death. 


OLIVER  T.   HUNT. 

First  Lieutenant  01i\er  T.  Hunt  (known 
as  Captain),  a  retired  farmer  of  Tu.scola,  Illi- 
nois, and  a  well  knnwn  and  highly  respected 
citizen  of  the  county,  is  a  n;itive  of  Randolph 
county,  Indiana,  and  was  born  within  eight 
miles  to  Winchester,  the  county  seat,  June  13, 
1832.  He  is  a  son  of  Miles  Hunt,  who  mar- 
ried Mary  L.  Botkin ;  they  were  natives  re- 
.spectively  of  Fleming  county,  Kentucky,  and 
Knox  county,  Tennessee.  Bazil  Hunt  (grand- 
father) was  l)orn  in  England.  Fnur  brothers 
(if   the    IlunI    famil\-   I'aine    from     luigland     in 


alxnit  the  year  1779  or  1780.  One  was  killed 
in  the  Revolutionary  war;  one  settled  in  Mary- 
land: (ine  in  Virginia,  and  Bazil,  the  grand- 
father of  the  subject,  settled  in  Fleming  coun- 
ty, Kentucky,  and  moved  in  an  early  day  to 
Indiana,  where  he  died,  leaving  a  family  and 
widow.  Miles  Hunt,  his  youngest  son.  laid 
out  and  platted  the  village  of  Huntsville,  ex- 
pecting at  some  future  time  it  would  become 
the  county  seat.  His  family  were  eleven  in 
number,  seven  l)oys  and   four  girls.     .Ml  the 


children  married  when  of  age  and  settled  as 
follows :  Three  of  the  girls,  Malinda  Keever, 
Rachel  Stevenson  and  Caroline  Okerson,  were 
all  married  in  Randnlph  county,  Indiana,  and 
moved  to  Nodaway  county,  Missouri,  with 
their  husbands.  Also  John  C.  Hunt,  who 
married  Emma  Lane  in  .\tchison  county,  Mis- 
souri, and  is  an  attorney  of  no  mean  standing 
in  Rockport,  the  county  seat  of  .\tchison  coun- 
Iv.  William  Tipton  Hunt  was  married  on  the 
same  date  as  was  our  subject,  to  Celestine 
P.auni,  daughler  of  Charles  liaum,  of  V'crmil- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  195 

ion   c()nnt\-.    llliiK^is.     He   died   at   Oklalioma  scliolai"s  and  send  1)ut  one  ov  two  in  ordtT  \  > 

City  while  a   juryman  of  the    United    States  secure  a  teaclier.     (^ften  men  with  no  chil(h\ii 

court  in  the  Indian  Territory,  April  15.  i8qi.  to  send  to  school  wduld  pay  the  tuition  of  a 

His  wife   returned   to   \'erniilion   county,    lUi-  schol.ar   tn   induce   sunic  one   whu   Cduld    read 

nois,  and  died  July  3,    1893,  and    write    to    teach.     The    old     elcuicnl.uy 

Miles  Hunt,  the  father,  departed  this  life  spcllin;^  hook  was  the  text  l)ook,   with   smuc 

in  Logan  countv  at  the  home  of  his  youngest  reading  in  it,  with  the  stories  of  "the  m.an's  ox 

son,   .\louzo,   in   Oklahoma  Territory,  on   De-  th;it  h;id  hccn  gore<I  hy  his  neighbor's"  and  the 

cemhcr  14,  i8(>3.  James  D.  Hunt,  his  scir,,  now  "hoy   in   the  .apple   tree."      The   prim.ary   class 

resitles   in   Oklahoma  county,   that   Territory,  constituted  the  A  JJ  C  divisions  (with  the  al- 

Miles  Hunt's  wife  died  April  10,  1895,  in  Lo-  phabet  torn  from  the  spelling  book  and  pasted 

gan  county,  Indian  Territory,  and  is  at  rest  on  a  paddle  to  protect  and  preserve  it ).      When 

by   the   side  of   her   husliand.       I'ezelleel   and  (»uc  had  mastered  the  old  clemcnt.ary  si)clling 

Henry   C.    Hunt   bi^th   enlisted   in   the   Sixty-  book,   grammar   and   arithmetic,    writing   ;md 

ninth  Indiana   Regiment  in   1862.     Henry  C.  geography    were    studies    the    parents    could 

was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Richmond.  Ken-  choose  from,  any  or  all  of  them.     The  old  En- 

tucky,  and  Bezelleel.  remaining  with  him,  was  glish   reader  was  indispeusible,  .and    all    who 

taken  prisoner,  but    was  paroled.      ISoth   were  h;id    thurdughly    m;istered    the     s|)clliug    bonk 

afterward  married,  but  first  studied  medicine  must  read  in  it.  which  was  not  suitable  to  the 

and  became  M.   IX's.      Henry  lives  in   Mont-  contlitiou  of  the  children.     As  well  h;id  them 

jjclier,   Blackford   county,    Indiana,   and   has  a  enter  the  Latin  class  of  to-dav.  as  there  was 

lucrati\e  ])ractice.      Bezelleel  dieil   in   Douglas  imt   half  of  the  words  the  children   knew    the 

coiuity,   Illinois,  in    August.     i8r)9,    leaving  a  meaning  of,  while  the   f.icilities  of  to-d,iv  are 

widow,   whose  maiden   name    was     P.ranham.  much   improved  as  the  child    climbs    step  by 

Sarah  J.  married  Leander  McMillen.  of  I'enn-  step  and  is  expected  to  master    every    study. 

syKania.  who  was  also  a  physician.      He  died  ^'et   we  .are  jiaincd   to  see  the  gr.aduale   who. 

leaving  one  son,  I'.euuett  H.   The  widow-  after-  ])arrot-like,  can  only  re])e,-il  wli;il  he  h;is  thor- 

ward  married  a  man  of  Vermilion  county,  11-  oughly  committed — "I 'oily    w.mls   her   break- 

linois,   Benjamin    Dickson    by    name.     There  fast."     The  greatest   trouble,   wc  think,  espe- 

were  .seven    of   Miles     Hunt's    children     who  cially  in  the  common  schools,  is  with  the  leach- 

t.augbt     school,      viz.:     O.     P.,     William    T.,  ers.      .\   child    recites   well    when    it    recites   by 

lleury  C,  B.  T..  J.  C.,  .\.  L.  an<l  .S;u-,ah  Jane,  role   or    h;is    committed    the    langti.age   of    the 

(.Sec  new  history  of  Indi.ana  by  the  lion.  W.  author.      This  is  no  lest,  onlv  of  memory;  it 

H.   luiglish.)  does  n(.t  show  tb;it  the  student  li.as  any  thought 

Oiu-  subject.  ( ).  T.   Hunt,  received  ;i  com-  of  his  own.  or  tb.at   he  un<lerst,ands  the  recita- 

niou-scbool     education,     inilike    the     common  tiou   he   recites.      I  lence.    while   life  .at    best   is 

^cbools  of  the  ])resent  day,  as  in  his  early  boy-  short,   the   main   object    should   be  in   leaching 

htiod    schools    were   secured     by     subscription,  anything  to  stimnl;ite  .and    dr;iw    out    of  ihe 

His     lather    would     pay     the    tuition    of    live  child  all   the   reasoning  powers,  .and   you   have 


ig6 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


laid  a  foundation  tliat  is  everlasting  when  the 
child  has  learned  that  the  first  and  "Teat  step 
in  an  education  is  for  one  to  think  fm-  himself. 
Now  as  to  the  sul)iect.  O.  T.  Hunt's 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  Hugh  M.  Botkin, 
of  Scotch  descent,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  who 
settled  near  Winchester.  Indiana,  in  an  early 
day,  with  his  familw  where  many  of  his  de- 
scendants are  nnw  living.  William  Botkin, 
one  of  his  sons,  owns  and  lives  on  the  farm 
h.is  father  first  settled  cm  in  Indiana.  When 
O.  T.  Hunt  arri\cd  at  manhdnd  he  taught  his 
first  schiiol  in  lluntsxilte.  Kandnlph  county, 
his  own  l)r(ithers  and  sisters  attending  the 
school,  and  he  says  they  ga\'e  him  more 
trouhle  than  all  the  rest  nf  the  scholars,  and 
if  it  had  not  lieen  fur  his  father  he  exjiccts  he 
would  ha\c  had  In  gi\e  up  the  schndl;  liut  be- 
tween them  they  settled  down  to  Inisiness.  He 
commenced  the  study  of  law  when  only  twenty 
years  did.  read  Blackstone's  Ci>nimentaries, 
and  in  1S53  he  hmight  Kent's  Commentaries, 
I'arsnn  cm  Contracts,  (u'eenleaf  on  Evidence 
and  Cciuld's  ric'iding.  In  1856  he  went  to 
V'crniihciu  ccmntv,  lllinciis,  and  taught  schocil, 
studied  at  his  spare  times  his  text-hooks,  and 
taught  school  in  th.at  State  over  two  years. 
He  returned  to  Randolph  county  in  185S  and 
on  motion  of  Judge  Jeremiah  Smith  he  was 
admitted  to  the  ivandolph  county  liar  to  ]irac- 
tice  law.  He  then  went  hack  to  Illinois  and 
married  I'diz.a  J.  McDowell  on  Septemher  1, 
iS^t).  and  returned  to  Randolph  county.  In- 
diana, where  he  and  his  wife  hoth  taught  a 
winter  term  of  school.  In  the  spring  they  went 
to  Illinois,  where  he  rented  a  farm  near  Indian- 
ola,  in  \'ermilion  county,  rmd  in  iS6j,  when 
i.incoln  revoked  the  order  of  ( icns.  I  lunter  and 
h'reniont,  saving  he  did  not  ha\e  the  constitu- 


tional right  to  free  the  slaves  of  the  south.  Hunt 
concluded  to  raise  a  company.  He  called  two 
or  three  meetings  and  secured  quite  a  num!)cr 
of  names  near  ludianola,  in  Vermilion  county, 
Illinois,  and  went  to  Danville  and  reported  to 
Covernor  Yates.  At  this  time  George  W. 
Cook,  of  Catlin,  Illinois,  learning  of  the  mat- 
ter, went  to  see  Hunt,  as  he  had  quite  a  num- 
ber of  men  enlisted,  and  they  consolidated  and 
were  made  Company  K,  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Twenty-fifth  Regiment  of  Illinois  \''ol- 
unteers.  Cook  was  made  captain  of  the  com- 
])any,  O.  T.  Hunt,  first  lieutenant,  and  Frank- 
lin Crosby, second  lieutenant, and  O.T.Harmon, 
colonel  of  the  regiment.  The  latter  lost  his 
life  at  the  charge  of  Kenesaw  Mountain,  after 
which  Hunt  comm;mded  the  company  (  hence 
the  appellation  '"Captain"),  and  the  Captain 
[dayed  major.  The  regiment  was  mustered 
in  at  Dan\-ille.  Illinois,  on  the  3d  day  of  Sep- 
lemhcr,  iS^ij,  and  ser\ed  during  the  war.  The 
regiment  went  with  Sherman  to  the  sea  (Sa- 
\annah,  Georgia),  thence  to  Richmond,  and 
tlie  muster-out  rolls  were  made  out  at  Wash- 
ington City,  D.  C.  They  were  dated  June  i). 
18^)5,  hut  were  not  cleli\ered  to  the  men  until  the 
latter  part  of  Jiuic.  when  the  regiment  was  paid 
off  at  Chicago  and  disbanded.  Hunt  bought 
a  I'eter  Schutler  lumber  wagon  in  Chicago 
and  returned  to  his  fannl\-  in  X'ernnlion  county. 
His  wife,  a  daughter  ccf  John  P..  McDowell. 
,'1  native  c)f  Kentucky,  inherited  of  her  grand- 
father, Haxid  \'arnell.  one  hundred  acres  of 
land  in  Douglas  county.  Illinois,  and  Hunt 
improNcd  the  same,  .and  through  their  econ- 
cini\'  and  industry  added  thereto  tiu'ce  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  acres  of  land,  making  a  total 
of  foiu'  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  land  in 
Douglas   count)',      .\fter   (Oklahoma    Territory 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


'97 


was  (ipened  up  \w  went  to  that  CDuntrv  and 
1j( night  two  claims  of  George  Cirant  ami  his 
I)i"(>tlier.  i>r  (ine  half-section,  within  lew  nr 
twcKe  miles  of  Oklahoma  City.  I!ut  he 
claims  his  eiuinmments  and  the  war  sjtoiled 
a  good  lawyer.  He  was  commander  of  the 
McCowan  Post,  of  Camargo,  Grand  .\rmy  of 
the  Republic.  That  order  growing  weak,  he 
surrendered  the  charier  and  ji  lined  the  I'rank 
Kced  Post,  of  Tuscola,  ami  is  also  or  has  heen 
a  member  of  the  (irange.  liiU  he  is  opposed 
to  secret  political  organization,  as  he  says  the 
Knownothing  party  of  185J-1X54  killed  the 
old  W  liig  parly,  and  any  party  that  will  not 
bear  tlie  light  ol  day  and  free  discussion  is 
dangerous  to  a  tree  and  independent  go\ern- 
ment.  lie  is  a  Stephen  A.  Douglas  Demo- 
crat, as  are  the  rest  of  his  father's  family, 
while  all  his  near  relati\es  are  Republicans,  oi" 
l;a\e  been,  lie  takes  a  lixelv  interest  in  ])  )li- 
tics  and  the  success  of  his  party,  making  tiie 
race  twice  for  states  attorney  and  once  for 
county  judge  with  ci'edit  to  himself. 


a  nati\'e  of  New  Jersey,  horn  September  i*".', 
ij<>4.  and  fought  under  .Andrew  bick^on  at 
the  battle  of  New  -.'-leans.  His  w  i  f-,  .Abi- 
gail, was  born  .Nugusl  2S,  \/(>J.  johr  Rose. 
his  maternal  grandfather,  was  an  early  settler 
near  Clarksx'ille,  (ireene  county.  PennsvKania. 
and  owned  a  distillery,  and  in  the  words  of 
Mr.  Ileaton  was  a  great  inventor,  ;is  be  could 
draw  live  kinds  of  liipior  out  of  the  s.ame  bar- 
rel, and  neither  he  nor  any  of  his  sons  were 
e\er  known  to  be  drunk  either.  lie  and  his 
live  sons  were  .also  op])oseil  to  drinking;  in 
that  early  day  there  were  no  orgau'z.at'on 
known  as  the  Pi'ohibition  partw  biU  princi- 
p.illy    Democrats  and    Whigs.      Wilh.am    llea- 


W  11.1.1  \.\1     llb;.\r()N. 

William    Heatou    is   one   of   the   old    lanl- 
mai'ks  ot  the  county.      l"or  o\er  half  a  centur\- 

be  b.is  been  an     active  .and  successful   man  of  loiTs   f.ilber  grew  tpiite  wealthy   for  that   d.iv, 

allairs,   .and   ,at  the  age  of  eighty-three  is  still  biu    lost    it   bv  goiug  ou  other  i)eoplc"s  bonds, 

attending  to  business.      !  le  was  born  in  dreene  lie     renio\ed     to     .\'cw     Washington,     (  )h,io, 

county,  Pennsylvani.a,  July  J4,    1X17,  and  is  a  where   he   died.      His   mother   died    in   (irecne 

son  of  Sanniel  and   .M.arg.aret   (  l\ost )   I  le.aton,  county. 

wlui  were  also  born  in  (u'eene  county.    I'enn-  Willi.un   Heatou  received  a  moderate  a\i\- 

sylvania.      His  grandfather,    John     Rose,  and  cation   in   bis  younger  days  ;md   worked   hard 

President     McKinley's       grandmother      were  on    the     f.ann.      In     iX_:;S    he    married     Mary 

cousins.     Willi-.n,i  Heatou  ( grand fathei )  was  Hedge,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Heilge.  of  Greene 


igS 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


county.  Jacol)  Hedge  was  a  good  citizen,  a 
good  farmer,  but  never  liad  opportunities  to 
sit  in  the  state  Legislature.  WilHam  Heaton's 
wife  died  in  1886.  To  tiiem  were  born  seven 
children.  His  second  and  present  wife  is  a 
most  agreeable  companion  for  him  in  his  old 
age.  She  is  a  cousin  of  his  first  wife.  Mr. 
Heaton  has  been  a  very  successful  trader  and 
has  probal)ly  bought  and  sold  more  land  than 
any  man  in  the  county.  For  several  years  he 
kept  a  land  office  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and 
paid  twelve  thousand  dollars  out  of  his  own 
pocket  towanl  the  removal  of  the  state  capital 
from  Iowa  City  to  Des  Moines.  He  laid  the 
foundation  for  the  Adair  County  Bank  at 
Greenfield.  Iowa,  which  is  now  owned  and 
managed  by  his  son,  D.  D.  Heaton.  He  is 
now  passing  the  sunset  of  life  near  the  Pleas- 
ant Ridge  church,  in  North  Newman  town- 
ship, where  he  still  enjoys  life,  and  appreciates 
a  good  story  as  well  as  he  ever  did.  While 
in  Iowa  he  was  a  political  disciple  of  James  B. 
Weaver  and  E.  H.  Gelette,  serving  as  delegate 
to  conventions  and  in  other  ways  adding 
strength  to  the  cause.  He  hopes  to  live  to  vote 
for  William  I.  Drvan  this  fall.  In  the  neisrh- 
borhood  in  which  he  resides  he  is  something 
of  a  political  freak,  as  nearly  everybody  around 
him  believes  most  devotedly  in  an  honest  dol- 
lar and  tlie  constitution. 


STRODFR   M.   LONG. 

Stroder  McNeal  Long,  who  was  the  sec- 
ond ])resident  of  the  Bank  of  Newman,  Illi- 
nois, was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio,  Oc- 


tober 6,  1840,  emigrated  with  his  parents  to 
the  state  of  Illinois  in  1848  and  located  on  a 
farm  nine  miles  north  of  Paris,  in  Edgar 
county.  He  is  a  son  of  .Vndrew  and  Margaret 
(Mark)  Long,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio.  He 
worked  on  his  father's  farm  in  the  summer 
and  attended  school  in  the  winter  until  i860, 
when  he  commenced  an  academic  course  at 
Paris,  Illinois.  In  the  year  following  the  Civil 
war  broke  oitt,  and  he  enlisted  in  Company 
E,    Twelfth    Illinois    Infantrv.     After    three 


months'  service,  on  account  of  a  severe  spell 
of  sickness,  he  was  honorably  discharged  and 
returned  home.  He  engaged  in  farming  and 
school  teaching  until  the  spring  of  1867,  wlien 
he  moved  to  Douglas  county,  where  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land  on  South  Prairie, 
three  miles  south  of  Newman.  He  remained 
here  until  1880,  making  farming  and  stuck 
raising  a  specialty.  He  represented  Sargent 
two  terms  on  the  comity  board  oi  supervisors, 
1878-79.  In  1884  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  Thirty-fourth  General  Assembly  of  the 


BIOGRAl'lllCAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


199 


slate  by  a  large  majority  in  titc  district.  His 
fidelity  to  party  as  well  as  to  the  peojjle's  in- 
terest, his  sterling  integrity  and  rectitude  of 
purpose,  won  for  him  the  appointment  hy  the 
Republican  caucas  a  member  of  the  advisory 
committee  that  directed  the  party  t)n  all  polit- 
ical questions.  He  was  a  memlier  of  the  com- 
mittees on  etlucation,  farm  drainage,  house 
contingent  expense,  state  and  nnniicipal  in- 
debtedness and  canals  and  rivers.  When  he 
retired  from  the  house  of  representatives  at 
the  close  of  the  session  he  had  made  a  host  of 
friends  and  few  enemies.  In  1S9S  he  was 
again  nominated  by  his  party  of  the  fortieth 
senatorial  district,  but  his  death  occurred  be- 
fore the  election.  In  the  spring  of  1888  he 
succeeded  I.  'N.  Covert  as  presitlent  of  the 
Newman  Bank,  which  position  he  held  most 
acceptably  to  all  parties  concerned  up  to  1898, 
the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  one  of  the  pro- 
moters of  the  organization  of  the  New-man 
lUiilding  &  Loan  Associaticm,  and  was  one  of 
its  prominent  and  rubng  tlirectors.  He  was 
al.so  a  charter  member  of  Templestone  lodge. 
No.  76,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  an  enthusi- 
astic worker  in  that  order.  Mr.  Long  was  a 
shrewd  business  man.  straightforward,  up- 
right and  cap.'ible.  Uni'ing  the  World's  I'"air 
he  was  ;i  member  of  the  board  of  congress 
trom    Illinois. 

ill  1 87 J  our  subject  married  .Mary  E. 
I'ound.  of  .\ewinau,  Illinois.  She  is  a  daugh- 
lei"  of  John  .M.  and  Rosalinda  (Kester) 
I'ound,  the  lormer  burn  in  Clark  county.  In- 
diana, and  the  latter  in  Shelby  county,  Ken- 
tucky. To  Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Long  were  born  fi\-e 
chiklren:  Mabel  M.,  wife  of  lleury  .\.  Wine, 
ol  Indiauajiolis,  Indiana;  I'otter  I'.,  married 
and  residing  on  his  farm  south  uf  Newman; 


Caruet  A.,  wife  of  William  McGee,  of  Mat- 
todu,  Illinois;  Cecile  1\.  and  I'^ay  K.  reside 
with  their  mother.  Mrs.  Long  and  children 
own  se\en  hundred  acres  of  Land,  one  bnudred 
and  twenty  acres  of  which  lies  in  bjlg.nr  coun- 
ty, also  other  valuable  city  property.  She  has 
recently  completed  one  of  the  mi_)st  imposing 
and  beautiful  resideuces  in  Newman. 


JOSEPH   S.   WILLI. VMSON. 

Joseph  S.  Williamson,  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  and  most  favoraljly  known  citizens 
01  Douglas  county,  was  bom  .-\ugust  22,  1840, 
r.ear  Muncie,  Indiana.      He  is  a  son  of  Peter 


Williamson  ;uid  Ivosana,  his  wife.  His  father 
was  born  in  Portsmouth.  Ohio,  and  his  mother 
ir.  ( iermany.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Joseph  \\  illianison,  was  a  native  of  New  Jer- 


200 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


sey.    and    liis    maternal     grandfather.     J"liii 
Adams   Sliaffer.  came   fmm  Cermany. 

Josepli  S.  Williamson  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Muiicie.  In  early  life  he  taught 
school  during  the  winters  and  worked  upon  the 
farm  in  crop  time,  after  which  he  spent  three 
years  with  a  New  >'ork  dry-gcuxls  hrm.  In 
i(Sr)5  he  came  to  this  state  and  located  in  Tus- 
cola, where  he  was  successfully  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  liusincss  in  partnership  with  the  late 
C.  W.  Calvert  for  six  years.  In  1870  he  re- 
turned to  In(Hana  and  located  at  Mount  Sum- 
mit, where  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  l:)usi- 
ness.  In  1876  he  retm'ued  to  Douglas  county. 
where  he  has  hcen  engaged  in  agriculture  and 
stock  raising  on  the  present  farm,  containing 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  which  is  one 
of  the  hest  im[iro\ed  farms  in  the  county.  He 
has  been  twice  married.  His  fu'st  wife,  Miss 
Rebecca  Ice,  who  died  in  1875,  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Colonel  Jesse  Ice,  of  the  war  of  1812, 
and  .*>arali  Ice.  whose  maiden  name  was  Hick- 
man. There  were  horn  to  their  marriage  five 
children.  The  lixing  ,ire  :  Jesse  Peter,  Fran- 
cis Eugene  and  Joseiih  Aha.  Deceased: 
James  and  .Arulrew.  His  second  wife.  Miss 
I'rances  l\.  L.  Kiusev.  is  a  daughlei"  of  the  late 
Joseph  i\inse\'  and  losin.a.  liis  wife,  who  was 
■also  a   ihiughter  of   the  ;ilio\e   L\<\.   Jesse   Ice. 

To    then'    marriage    were    horn     six     children. 

i  lie  hving  are;  Pearl  .M;i\'.  Harry  K.. 
h;arle  W'.,  Wini.am  P.  and  .Mira  Marie.  De- 
ceased,  ( ici  >rge   P. 

Mr.  Williamson,  while  a  resident  of  Tus- 
cola, was  identified  with  the  board  of  educa- 
tion, a  member  of  the  bo.-ird  of  aldermen,  and, 
though  never  an  oflice  seeker,  has  filled  many 
other  ])ositions  of  honor  and  trust.  In  all 
these  public  capacities  he  has  been  faithful,  and 


by  his  careful  study  of  the  political  principles 
of  our  cfmntry  and  his  deep  interest  in  educa- 
tion has  proved  his  devotion  and  interest  in 
the  comiuon  welfare  of  the  jjcople.  For  some 
tune  his  health  has  not  been  good  and  the  past 
winter  he  and  Mrs.  Williaiuson  spent  in 
Florida  in  search  of  health.  Socially  Mr. 
Williamson  is  agreeaiile  and  comi)aniouable 
and  has  many  friends  who  appreciate  his  worth 
as   a   neighbor   and    Christian   gentleman. 


CALEB  CAKRPTT. 


Caleb  Carrett.  sou  of  Isam  and  Mary 
(  I'uckett  )  ( iarrett.  was  liorn  in  Clinton  county, 
Ohio,  on  the  (ith  of  July,  181 T).  In  i8r()  the 
lamily  mo\ed  to  Randolph  couiUw  Indiana, 
and,  in  1823,  t(j  \'igo  count}',  in  the  same  state, 


where  thev  remained  until  the  final  removal 
to  Illinois.  Whilst  in  the  former  state,  the 
residence  of  the  family  was  generally  on  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  201 

Fort    Harrison    prairie   and    abimt    four   miles  partly  ti>  ltHii<  ii])  a  lucatiim  for  a  futnre  Imme. 

soiitli  of  Tcrre  1  laute.     Caleb  was  alxmt  seven  'I'lie  trip  l)eg'an  at  Terre  Haute.  1>\-   lialilwin's 

vears   old    ulieii    tlie    family    ix'siiled    near    the  store,    in    Eds^ar  county.    Sadorus   (u"o\e,   and 

l.-itter  place.      He  was  educated  at  a  suhscrip-  into  .Spriny field,  lieardstown  and  (Juincy.  tlien 

lion  school:  his   father  heins;-  a  man  of  ednca-  a   wild,  sparcely  settled  country.      Mr.  (larrett 

lion,  he  progressed  under  home  instruction  and  returned  to  Teri'e  I  laute  hy  way  ol  Meredosia, 

learned   rapidly.      In    1S30  his  mother  died  in  on  the  Illinois  ri\er,  to  Sprint;1leld  and  Decatiu'. 

N'ii^o  countw    Indiana,   and    for   sexeral    years  iMom    iS^:;^  to   iS,V>.  pursuing;-  his  n;itin-al  heiil 

thereafter  .Mr.   Uam  (larrett  and  h:s  two  sons.  foi-  exploi'atioii  .-uid  adventure,  he  lollowed  llat- 

C.alehand   .Xatlian,  kept  house   for  themselyes.  hoatiny  down   the   Wabash,  the  (  )hio  and   the 

In  these  d;i\s  Caleh  dro\e  an  o\   team   for  I..  Mississippi  to  Xew   (  )rleans.     The  boats,  made 

I  I.  Scott  ;  he  worked  in  the  corn  held  fortwen-  ;;enerally  by   the  owner,   were    from   ei.i;hly   to 

t\'-li\e  cents  a  daw  and  made  fence  rail>  at  from  one  lumdied   and   twenty    ieet   Ioul;.   .and    wci'e 

twenty    to    thirty    cents    ])er    hundred,    aseras;"-  laden  to  the  .gunwale  with  corn,  jiork  ami  other 

iuL;   one   hundred   and    lift}-    for  ;i   d.iy's   work.  produce.     In  I  S4(i  Ir- started  from  Terre  I  laute 

lie  went  into  the  jirintim;  bu^ines^  at  the  ofhce  bound  Im    Xew   (  )i'leans  per  steamer,  and  upon 

i'\  the  Western  l\e.L;ister  in  Terre  I  laute  under  reachin.i;  the  W  ;ibash  ra]iids  tluy  were  mm  upon 

Judye   .\mei-y    Kiiniey   ;md   John    W.    ( )sborn,  the  rocks  by  a  <!runken  pilot.     ( i.irretl  :md  two 

the  propi'ielors  of  the  ol'lice.      i\lr.  (larrett  re-  others  Ihied  a  sl-;ilT.  ami.  crossing;  the  vlwv  to 

turned  to  I'.irmiuL;  for  awhile.  ;md  also  worked  Ml.  t  .'uanel.  Illinois,  they  chartered  a  h.ick  and 

as  a  carpentei-  and   builder  under   1  )r.  ddiomas  repaired  to  hX  ans\ille.  ;it  which  iioint  they  took 

Parsons,  and   ha\  ini;    liu;ill\-   resoKed   to  think  the    l.iri^e    river    steamer    Louisiana    with    two 

.and  act   for  himself  he  returned  to  his  faxorite  com]>;uuons,  one  hound    tor  the  mouth  ol    the 

pursuits,    farming;-    ami    .stock-raisiuL;,    nuakiui;'  (  umbeiland,     the    other     lor     the      Teiniessee. 

success  in   them   the  object  iif   his    future   life.  Alter  ;i  tediou>  \oy;iL;e  he  arrived  at   .Xew  (  )i' 

lie  was  for  several  )'cars  a  tenant  of  Channcev  leans,  took  a  steamship  and  pas>ed  out   to  the 

Rose,  the  well-known  millionaire,  for  whom  at  .^ull.  ;ind  alter  a  \er)    st(jrm_\-  passage  arrived 

the  outset  he  wciTcd  at   the  ordinary  (jccupa-  satelv  .il  ( i.aK  cston.     lie  went  tlienct'  to  lions- 

tion  of  a  faian  hand.  duiiuL;  w  hich  time  he  made  ton.    ;md    there    f.iilini:;    to    ,i;ct    a    conveyance, 

thousands  id"  rails  at  the  then  usu.il  very  small  st.ai'ted    on    foot    lhroUL;h     Tex.as.       lie   arrived 

Compensation  ;  and  hei'e  be.L;an  between  the  two  at  a  house  where  he  was  ollered  and  accepted 

men  a  warm  i)ersonal   rei;.ard.  which  was  ouiv  the  use  ol  a  pouy.     The  next  da_\'  he  was  ])re- 

terminated  by  the  de.alh  of  Mr.  Rose.     In  iS^:;^:;,  sented   vvilh  ;i  lun'se  by  a   I  )r.   Ileard.  and  pro- 

in  the  ci  puipanv  of  ( leoi-j^e  Jordan,  the  f.ather  of  ceedint;  ;-;ot  into  the  v  icinity  ol  hostile  Indians. 

1.  L.  Jordan,  of  Tuscola,  and  of  Levi  Westfall.  lie  became   for  the  nonce  a  Texas  rans^er.  in 

an  uncle  of  R.  i"..  I  I.  West  fall,  of  ( l.arrett  town-  which    capacity    he    ex]ierienced    consider.able 

ship,   anil    also    with    a    Keuluckv    friend,    Mr.  li^hlinL;-  with   the   Indians.      In  d'ravis  county, 

(iarrett  i)assed  thron:.;h  thi>  portion  of  Illinois.  Tex.as,   Mi',  (iari'elt  m.ai'ried   Miss  Irene   I'nck- 

partly    to   indulge   his   love   of   adventure   and  ett,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  I'uckelt.     With  her 


202 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


lie  left  Texas  in  an  ox  wagon  loaded  with 
pecans  and  dry  hides.  They  arrived  at  Hous- 
ton and  took  a  steamer  to  Galvestiin,  and  tiience 
to  New  Orleans,  and  hy  the  Mississippi  to 
Evansville,  Indiana,  landing  March  5,  1841 : 
they  shortly  after  arrived  in  Vigo  county,  that 
heing  the  county  in  which  his  wife  was  born. 
Mrs.  Irene  Garrett  has  always  been  remarkable 
for  an  open-handed  li1)erality  toward  her  less 
fortunate  neighbors,  which  dispensed  generally 
from  her  own  private  means  earned  her  the 
lilessings  of  the  poor.  In  Vigo  county  Mr. 
Garrett  returned  U>  farming  and  stock-raising, 
during  which  time,  about  1842,  he  was  elected 
to  the  Indiana  state  legislature,  and  at  the 
succeeding  term  was  re-elected.  In  1845  '^^ 
made  his  second  trip  to  Illinois,  and  in  1S46 
bought  land  in  the  west  part  of  Tuscola  town- 
ship, near  the  present  farm  of  William  Brian. 
He  finally  sold  this  land  and  located  in  the  forks 
of  the  creek  on  section  3,  township  15,  range 
7.  He  also  selected  (uie  Innulred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land,  being  lots  2  and  3  in  the  north- 
east (luarter  of  section  3,  township  15,  range 
y.  and  hewed  a  set  of  walnut  logs  for  a  home. 
In  1856  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garrett  revisited  Texas, 
including  a  long  trip  in  a  carriage  by  Price's 
Springs  and  Brazos  brails  in  Cherokee  county, 
wliere  he  examined  lands;  thence  to  Palestine 
and  M.arshall,  frum  which  place  they  went  forty 
miles  to  Shreveport,  Louisiana,  thence  by 
steamer  to  the  mouth  of  Red  river,  and  I>y  a 
similar  c(inve\ance  to  Exansville,  Indiana, 
reaching  hdme  Nox-emlier  8,  1856,  which  was 
then  Coles  county.  He  then  began  imi)niving 
his  lands  with  orchards,  l)arns  and  dwellings. 
Mr.  Ciarretl's  lands  in  Ciarrett  township  at  one 
time  covered  nineteen  hundred  acres.  In  1875 
lie  sold  these  lands  and  reinvested  in  Tuscola 


township,  having  concluded  to  settle  in  Tus- 
cola  City.  He  was  the  first  supervisor  of  Gar- 
rett township,  which  had  been  instituted  with 
the  other  townshii)S  in  1868,  and  he  was  also  a 
member  of  the  first  grand  jury  in  Douglas 
county.  Mr.  Garrett  always  took  a  deep  in- 
terest in  all  the  public  affairs  of  Douglas 
countv. 


WILLIAM  HOWE. 


Historv  first  relates  of  William  Howe, 
grandfather  of  the  late  William  Howe,  as  a 
native  of  Virginia.  Whether  this  is  correct, 
we  are  not  able  to  sav.     But  he  afterward  emi- 


grated to  Kentucky  when  it  was  yet  a  wilder- 
ness. He  formed  a  meml)er  of  Daniel  Boone's 
first  colony  and  participated  in  the  dangers 
incident  to  "the  dark  and  bloody  ground."  His 
son,  George  W.  Howe,  was  born  in  Kentucky 
and  there  maiTieil  .-\ngeline  Hildreth,  a  native 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  203 

of  tliat  state,  Iitit  (if  F.ns^lisli  descent  also,  and  in  had  many  a  skirmish  with  tlic  Indians,  liis 
liourbon  county,  Kentucky,  Wilham  IIowc,  Jr.,  father  dying-  by  tlieir  liands,  and  led  by  the  same 
was  born  on  November  j^,  i8ji).  spirit  of  adventure  and  hardihood  lie  deter- 
In  1832  George  Howe  and  family  emi-  mined  tn  try  his  fortunes  in  the  new  I'd  Dorado. 
grated  to  the  southeastern  part  of  Missouri.  in  .March,  1850,  in  company  with  West  and 
On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Black  Hawk  war  others,  eleven  in  all,  he  started  overland  f<ir 
he  joined  the  forces  sent  against  the  Indians,  California.  Before  starting  all  promised  th.'it 
;nul  was  sujipnsed  to  have  been  killed  by  them  unless  in  case  of  illness  none  should  be  allnwed 
near  (kdcna,  lllinnis,  for  no  word  caiue  from  to  ride,  and  on  .hU  that  long  and  rough  journey 
him  afterward.  The  mother  then  moved  with  Mr.  Howe  kept  his  place  by  the  side  of  the 
her  children,  live  in  munber,  back  to  her  old  oxen.  The  spring  of  1850  was  one  of  deep 
home  in  Kentuckv  in  1835.  Here  she  stayed  mud  and  high  water,  so  their  journey  was  made 
for  three  )-ears,  when  she  and  her  faniil\- moved  doubly  diliicult.  The  party  passed  through 
to  X'ermilion  coniUw  Illinois,  arri\;ng  there  on  (juinc}'  cuid  across  the  state  of  Missouri,  fol- 
the  fith  of  April.  1838.  Mr.  Howe  was  at  this  lowing  very  nearly  the  same  route  now 
time  nine  vears  old.  He  continued  with  his  traversed  by  the  I  l.annib.al  &  .St.  jo  railroad. 
mother  for  aliuost  two  years,  when  he  was  in-  The  Missouri  river  in  the  southwest  corner  of 
dentured  to  the  service  of  William  J.  West,  the  state  of  Iowa  was  crossed;  the  northern 
who  resided  on  a  farm  in  Sargent- township,  route  was  taken,  through  the  South  Pass  <if 
It  was  in  the  spring  of  1840  when  he  tirst  came  the  Rocky  Mountains;  north  of  Salt  Lake;  by 
to  West's  and  he  remained  with  him  nine  years,  the  Oregon  tniil  to  the  Soda  Springs;  then 
till  in  his  twentieth  vear.  in  the  spring  of  1849.  over  to  the  St.  Mary"s  river,  down  which  they 
During  this  time  his  board  was  the  only  com-  traxelcd  to  the  Sink.  The  Sierra  Xevadas  wd'e 
pensation  he  receix'ed  for  his  service.  He  was  crossed  liy  the  Carson  trail,  and  the  party  ar- 
signcd  to  school  about  thirteen  months,  but  rixed  August  J.~ .  1830,  at  Xcbber\\llc,  only 
out  of  this  he  only  received  about  nine  months'  losing,  in  accomplishing  the  journey,  one  man, 
regular  schooling,  and  this  was  sc,-ittered  o\er  who  died  of  <li>c'ase  and  whom  the\-  buried  by 
a  long  period  of  vears  so  ;is  to  be  of  but  little  the  \\.-iy.  The  men  weiU  to  mining  gold  in  this 
service.  The  good  geuer;d  educition  he  pos-  region.  Mr.  How  e  remained  nine  luonlhs,  dur- 
sessed  was  jjrincipally  picked  u])  bv  his  own  ing  which  lime  he  got  together  a  considerable 
ingenious  industrv.  .\fler  his  term  of  ser\ice  (|u,-iiitit\-  of  gold  dust.  The  Klamath  excite- 
wilh  Mr.  West  b;id  exjiired  he  wurked  a  year  meut  then  i-.-ime  up  .-lud  he  joined  a  party  to  go 
b\  the  month,  still  Iiaxing  his  he;uli|uarters  at  to  (  )regou.  His  expei-ience  here  was  \ery  ;id- 
W  est's.  At  this  time  the  excitement  conse-  \enturons,  but  tliei-e  were  no  flattering  results, 
(inent  upon  the  <lisco\erv  of  gold  in  California  In  conip;in\'  with  Iwn  others,  he  was  robbeil  b\ 
w.'is  spreading  o\-er  the  conntr\-.  .Mr.  Howe,  as  a  parlv  <if  .Modoe  Indians.  He  l<ist  about 
we  h;ue  seen.  Comes  from  an  aiKenturons  race  twcKe  hundred  doll;n-s,  including  e\-er_\-thing 
ol  men,  his  earlier  ancestors  haxing  fought  he  h.-id,  e\en  to  a  greater  part  of  his  clothing, 
gallantly  for  King  George,  while  his  later  ones  He  returned  to  the  mines  on  the  Yuba  river 


204 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


in  destitute  condition,  witliout  clothes  or 
money.  Here  prospects  brightened,  the  gold 
panning  out  sometimes  to  the  amount  of  eighty 
dollars  a  day.  lUU  he  could  iinl\-  remain  two 
weeks.  High  water  came  and  Mr.  Howe  went 
to  California,  where  he  followed  "teaming" 
from  Stockton  out  to  the  mines  and  during  his 
eighteen  nmnths  sdjnurn  here  he  accumulated 
siimc  UKincy.  In  I1S53  he  decided  to  return  to 
Illinois,  and  in  February  of  the  same  year  he 
left  California,  taking  a  vessel  from  San  Fran- 
cisco, crossing  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  sailing 
from  there  to  New  Orleans,  then  up  the  Mis- 
sissip])i  til  his  old  home  in  C(_)!es  county,  as  it 
then  was.  During  his  three  years  stay  in  Cali- 
fornia he  learned  the  Spanish  language  and 
ciiuld  con\erse  fluently  in  it. 

Mr.  H<.)we  now  turned  his  attention  to  the 
peaceful  pursuit  of  agriculture,  hoping  in  that 
1853,  he  married  Harriett  Anne  Lester,  a  na- 
185^^,  he  married  Harriett  .\nne  Lister,  a  na- 
tive of  Douglas,  whose  ancestors,  like  those  of 
Mr.  Howe,  were  of  English  and  Kentucky 
blood  and  birth.  In  December  he  started  his 
lung  and  prosperous  career  as  a  farmer,  and 
at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  in  the  possession 
of  almost  eighteen  hundred  acres  of  kuul  in 
the  neighborhood  of  his  residence.  Hunting 
was  his  favorite  amusement,  and  e\ery  year  he 
made  a  trip  to  Kansas,  Colorado  and  .\rkansas, 
where  he  indulged  in  the  exciting  si)ort.  He 
was  celebrated  for  his  skill  as  a  marksman  and 
seldom  failed  to  liring  ilowii  his  game. 

He  was  the  father  of  eight  children  :  James 
M.,  who  now  resides  on  a  large  farm  in  Ne- 
l)raska;  John  S.,  li\ing  now  on  the  old  home- 
stead: Perry  N.,  who  lives,  also,  on  part  of 
his  father's  farm;  Mary  E.,  wife  of  James 
Drennen,  living  on  an  Iowa  farm ;  Charles  R., 


residing  on  the  first  farm  that  Mr.  Howe 
owned;  Etfie  A.,  wife  of  James  C.  Reed,  a 
lawyer  in  Kansas  City ;  Leona  M.,  wife  of  Will- 
iam Iiiseph.  assistant  manager  in  the  firm  of 
Ihadlcy  Manufacturing  Company;  and  Lora 
.A.,  who  lives  with  her  mother  in  Tuscola. 
William  Howe  died  Jamiary  J/,  1892,  at  his 
ciiuntry  home  near  h'icklin. 


JAMES  DREW. 


James  Drew  one  of  the  earliest  ])'cinecrs  in 
the  western  part  of  Douglas  county,  and  also 
one  of  the  largest  land  owners,  is  a  native  of  the 
state,  ha\ing  been  born  in  Hamilton  county,  Il- 
linois, on  the  14th  of  June.  iSk).     He  came  to 


the  territory  now  embraced  in  Douglas  county 
in  1839,  and  continued  to  reside  on  the  place  of 
his  first  location  until  his  death  in  i8<J4. 

The  Drew  family,   from  wdiich  Mr.   Drew 
has  his  descent,  formerly  resitled  in  South  Car- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  205 

(iliiKi,  wlierc  Jdlin  Drew,  ihc  fatlier  of  James  qucnt  career,  lie  was  on  the  linikuul  tn  scnire 

Drew,    was   Ixmi.      The   maiden    name   (if   his  land  for  liim.self.  Land  eoiild  he  ohtaineil  in  that 

nintlier  was  Tcmpy  I'armer.  and  she  was  alsn  a  ])art  of  Coles  comity  where  Tavlnr  lived,  and 

resident  of  South  Carolina.     The  family  after-  yonn,<;-  Drew  emhr.aced  (he  lirst  o|)])(  .rtunity  of 

ward  removed  to  Indiana,  and  then  to  Illinois,  settlin<;-.      He  entered  eightv  acres  of  land  at 

settling;    in    Hamilton    county.        Here    James  the  government  price  of  one  dollar  and  twentv 

Drew  was  horn  on  the  date  given  alioxe.  When  Ihe    cents    an    acre,    horrowing    one    hundred 

aliout   four  _\-ears  old  the  family  moved  norlli  dollars  of  Ta\-lor  to  make  the  pm-chase.  and 

to    I-^helhy    cmmty.      The    children    were    nine  agreeing  to  discharge  the  deht  ]iartl\-  in  d;i\-'s 

in  muuher.  Ii\'e  hoys  and   four  girls,  only  two  labor.      .Mi'.    Drew's   present   house  stands   on 

of  whom  are  now  dead.      After  the  family  had  the   origin.al    land    entered.      His    hrolher   and 

li\eil  in  Shelhy  county  ahoiu  e'ght  years.  *iien  hrother-in-law    each    entered    eight\-    aca'es    at 

moved   to  Ciiles  comUy,   sniuh  of  (/h.ariesic  u.  the  same   time,   and    the   whole  aiiionnt   came 

The  pr:nc;p,'d  part  of  his  education  Air.  Drew  into  the  ]iossession  of  Mr.   Drew.      It   w.as  the 

received  in  this  county,      lie  attended  a  om-  close  df  the  year    \X-\<)  when   Mr.    Drew   first 

mon  country  sclii  ml.  hcl<I  in  an  .  ild  >]iaiUv,  -vil'i  came  into  the  I'ountw  .-nid  the  next   spring  he 

a   tn-e-]ilace  occupying  nearly  .all   df  on(.'  cud.  honghl  hi^  land.      lie  ]iut  up  a  s]ilit  iMg  c.iliin 

The   nidsi   cil    the  children    were    witlioul    h.als  on  the  premises  .-md  li\eil  with  his  hnither-in- 

and  went  h.arefoot  in  winter.     Mr.  Drew's  fa-  law.      .\1I  the  time  he  c><u\i\  s|i.are  for  impmv- 

ther  was  ,a  laianer,  .and  l<ept  the  hoys  ,at  home  ing  the  pn>perl\    hv  de\M|od  in  p.aying  olT  (he 

a  great  deal  of  the  time  Im  wurk  on  the  farm.  deht  of  mie  hundred  dollars,  which  was  liuallv 

After  a  residence  in  ( 'oles  county  of  si  ime  \e;M-s  accoiuplislied  in  I  liret-  years.      .\  gniid   pniiK.ii 

the    lauiily    nnwed    hack    to   .Sjiclhy,    this   time  was  worl<ed  out  Ii\    lahor,  at  liflv  cents  ;i  d.aw 

maka'ng  their  home  in   the  teiaitory  ,1  flei'w  .ai'd  There  wereonK'  f.  .in'  f.imilies  in  the  neighhor- 

emliraceil  in  Mi  mllrie  CMunty  lui  its  fm  in.ation.  Imod   ;ii    ihe  time     df    .Mr.    Dia-w 's  setllement. 

.Mr.  I  )|-e\\ w.as  now  almul  i-ighteen  yeirs  of  age.  l*"or  thirty  miles  {i<  the   west,  in  tlu-  dii-eclion 

Me  st.ayed  at  hdme  part  of  iw,  1  years,  dui'  sum-  of  Decatur,  thiaa'  was  not  a  single  hduse    The 

mer  gding  to  ( lalena,  .-md  Wdrking  in  the  le.ad  prairies  w  ta'e  .'ill  unoccaipied,  eivcred  wilh  tall 

mines  there.      Xd  niduey  I'diild  he  djiiaineil  ;U  grass    .and    I'esiu    weeds,    d\ei-    which    rd.imed 

this  peridd   Pir  farm  l.ahdr,  .and  the  lead  mines  deer  .and  ]ir.airie  Wdl\-es. 

dlleied  the  diilyuppdrtunity  fdi' dht.aining  ready  After  li\ing   with   his  hrothei'  in  l;iw    for  a 

cash.     W  hile  employi'd  here  he  recei\ed  t  went  V  Cduple  df   \a'ars.    .\lrd)rew   Cduclnded   In  "n  id 

dollars  :i  mdutli  and  hd;u-d.      In  the  yv.w   iS_:;c)  keeping  hdUse  fd|-  himself,  and  married  Am-'e- 

his   f.alher  tddk  .a   joh  of  m:iking  r.ails   for  one  line  W'.iller,  ,a  n.ativc  of   1  l.amilton  counts-.  Inn 

J.acoh  Taylor,  proh.ahly  the  lirsl  settler  in  wh.it  who  ;it     tlie   time     df    the  marriage    lived     in 

is  Udw   ( iarrett  tdw  iiship,  ami  j.ames  agreed  to  Shelhy.    .Mr.    I  )i-ew    w;is  then  twcnlx'  three  .ami 

gi\e  his  .assistance,      lie  w.as  udw  dlil  eudugh  his  wife  .ahdul   lwenl\-.      Mr.   Drew   h.ad  earlv 

to  do  for  himself,  and  with  lln-  s.ame  foresight  learnei]  industrious  h.ahits.  and  from  his  child- 

and  husiness  tact  which  h.is  m.arked  his  suhse-  hood    knew    Ihe   meaning  of   jiard    work,      l!y 


2o6 


BIOGRAriIU\\L   .\ND   HISTORICAL. 


liis  indnstrv  and  fni^^Tilily  lie  won  success,  in- 
vesting liis  surplus  capital  in  land  and  addin,c: 
from  time  to  time  as  opportunity  offered. 
Farming-  was  the  pursuit  to  which  he  directed 
his  whole  energies  and  e\'er  since  his  residence 
in  the  county  he  has  given  considerable  atten- 
tion to  raising  and  feeding  stock. 

Mr.  Drew's  first  wife  thed  in  1855,  and  he 
suhsequently  married,  on  the  13th  of  October, 
1857.  Miss   Martha   L.   Baker. 


EUGENE  RICE. 


Eugene  Rice.  ex-meml)cr  of  the  Legislature 
and  a  man  of  considerable  iirominence  through- 
out the  count}',  was  liorn  in  Madison  county. 


Kentucky,  ]\larch  12,  1848.  He  is  a  son  of 
M.nrtin  Rice,  who  was  one  of  the  most  widely 
;niil  faxorably  known  of  the  early  settlers  of 
t'amargo,  ami   whose  sketch  with  ancestry  of 


the  family  is  printed  in  full  on  another  page. 
Mr.  Rice  came  to  the  township  with  his  parents 
in  1854  and  resides  at  present  on  the  old  home- 
stead. He  is  extensively  engagetl  in  farming 
and  stock  raising  and  is  known  as  one  of  the 
most  successful  farmers  in  Douglas  county. 
In  18S7  and  1889  he  was  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature from  the  district  composed  of  Coles, 
Cumberland  and  Douglas  counties,  as  a  Re- 
publican. He  served  on  several  committees — 
federal  relations,  agriculture,  penitentiaries,  fish 
and  game,  contingent  expenses,  drainage,  li\'e 
stock  and  dairy,  printing  and  others — and  dur- 
ing the  extra  session  helped  to  pass  the  World's 
Fair  bill. 

Mr.  Rice  has  never  married,  and  resities  on 
his  beautiful  farm  within  a  half  hour's  ride 
from  the  village  of  Camargo,  where  he  enter- 
tains his  friends  and  enjoys  life.  As  a  member 
of  the  Legislature  he  was  conscientious  and  a 
hard  worker  in  the  interest  especially  of  the 
farmer,  who  it  has.  it  seems,  been  sadly  neg- 
lected as  to  legislation  in  both  state  and  n.ition. 


D.  0>.  ROOT. 


D.  O.  Root,  second  son  and  third  chilil  of 
Levi  and  Polly  Root,  was  born  in  nccattu' 
townshi]).  Washington  comity.  (~)hio.  Septem- 
ber J4,  1834.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Liv- 
ingston county.  New  York,  and  was  born  April 
9,  1809.  He  came  with  his  mother  and  stej)- 
father  to  Washington  county,  Ohio,  soon  after 
the  close  of  the  second  war  with  the  mother 
comUrv,  in  which  war  his  own  fathei"  h.ul  been 
a  soldier,  and   died    just    at     its    close.      The 


P.TOGRArillCAI,   AND   IIISTOKICAr.. 


20; 


motlier  of  tlic  subject  of  tliis  sketch,  wliose 
maiden  name  was  Stewart,  was  horn  ui)on  the 
farm  upon  which  now  stamls  tlie  \-illaj;c  of 
Stewart,  in  ,\lhcns  co\uity,  (  )hi(i,  M.arch  7. 
1809,  and  lier  mortal  remains  are  slcepins;-  in 
a  cemetery  near  that  villa,<;-e.  u])on  tlie  nld  Stew- 
art farm,  less  than  one-fourth  i>f  a  mile  from 
the  place  where  she  was  horn.  She  died  in 
May,  1857.  Her  father,  Daniel  Stewart,  burn 
in  November,  \jC',2.  in  T.itchlield.  Gmnectictn, 
was  a  Sdldier  in  the  cuntinenlal  army  in  ihc 
wru"  of  the  Uevolnti' in.  lie  came  ti>  (  )hio  in 
1802,  and  died  upon  the  farm  he  then  settled 
u])on,  in  1839,  of  an  accident,  and  nut  of  dis- 
ease or  old  ;iq-e.  thimqii  he  was  in  his  ninetv- 


eit^hlh  year.  The  [jarcnts  of  onr  subject  re- 
ninNcd  from  Washington  cnnnty  to  .\thcns 
county,  s.-ime  state,  when  he  was  a  mere  infant, 
and  settled  i>n  the  W'v^  1  hick  buck  ini;-  (imw 
abbreviated  into  simply  Ihickiug)  river,  just 
belciw  the  villa.i^e  n\  Stew.art.  Here  he  sjicnt 
the  first   twenty  years  of  bis  life,  except   two 


years — 1852-53 — dm-inc;-  which  he  was  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  I'mAersilv  at  Dela- 
ware. (Ihio.  Failing-  health  caused  him  t<>  (piil 
school  before  graduation. 

After  arriving  at  snl'licient  age.  when  n.ii 
in  .school — the  common  and  select — he  was  cn- 
.gaged  in  the  ordinary  farm  work,  in  a  woolen 
factory  and  as  clerk  in  a  cuunlry  store  nf  geu- 
cral  merchandise.     At  the  age  of  twenty  he  left 
the  parental  hdine  for  good  and  struck  out  lor 
himself  and  for  the  west  as  well.      He  landed 
in  what  is  innv  Douglas  county — then  Coles — 
October  17.  1854.      It  may  be  of  snme  interest 
to  the  younger  generation,  at  least,  as  shnwing 
the  difference  in  the  nicule  of  tr;i\el  then  ;m  1 
now,   to  state  th;it   the  brst   thirtei'ii   miles  ^<\ 
Mr.  Root's  westward  journey — from  the  home 
he  was  just  leaving  to  old  .\thens — was  made 
in  a  common  road  w.agoii ;  from  Atlieus  to  T^;m- 
caster,  forty-fne  miles,  in  a  canal  boat,  towed 
by  hor.ses.  and  twenty4hree  consecutive  hours 
were  consumed  in  m;iking  this  distance,    b'rom 
Lancaster  to  Terre    Haute.   Jndi;m;i,    via   Cin- 
ciimati  and  Iiulianapolis.  bv  rail.      And.  by  the 
way,  it  was  the  only  route  Ity  which  it  could.  ;it 
that  time,  have    lieen    made    by    rail,      b'rom 
Terre   Haute  to  Paris,   Illinois,  was  on  a  con- 
.struction  train,  on  the  old  I.  &  St.  L.  U.  K.,  its 
track  having  just  been  completed  as  far  west  as 
that  iioint.      b^-nm    Paris  to  Oakland   the  trip 
was   made    in    ,au   old    time   "'h.-ick"   or   "st;ige 
coach."  which  w.as  then  run  from  Terre  HaiUe 
westward,  on  the  old  .Springfield  "trace,"  pass- 
ing through   Oakland,   then  locally  known  as 
Pinhook.      During  the  winter  of    1854-3    Mr. 
l\oot    t;mghl    a    term    of    school    at    "Catfish 
Point."    near    w  Iiert'   the    \'i]l;ige   of    Isabel,    in 
Edgar  comity,   now   stamls.      i"or  this   be   re- 
cei\ed    the    sum    of     t\vent)-fi\e     dollars     [)er 


2o8 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


montli,  an  amount  considered  ratlier  extra- 
iir<linar}-  fur  tlie  times. 

In  the  spring-  of  1855 — .\pril  5 — he  was 
rnilcil  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Sarali  Winkler, 
the  widow  of  Cli.''.rles  V.  Winkler,  wlm  ha<l 
hcen  a  prosperous  farmer  and  an  old  settler  on 
the  lirushy  Fork  timber.  He  died  in  Jnne. 
iS^4,  leaving,  liesides  his  widow,  two  children, 
\'ashti,  who  became  the  wife  of  L.  E.  Root,  a 
brother  of  our  snliject,  and  who  is  now  de- 
ceased, and  Luther,  who  is  one  of  Nev'm  m's 
enterprising  farmers  and  stock  raisers  Vd^ 
latter  occupies  the  old  farm  entered  and,  im- 
proved by  his  grandfather  and  father,  tc  whicli 
he  has  made  various  and  substantial  additions 
and  improvements.  After  his  marriage  Ivlr. 
Root  settled  upon  this  same  farm  and  remained 
on  it  niuil  the  fall  of  1873,  after  his  election  10 
the  office  of  county  clerk.  To  Mv.  and  Mrs. 
Re  Kit  there  were  born  nine  children,  five  s_)n-. 
and  fi>ur  daughters:  Harriet  K.,  January  10, 
1855;  lulward  T.,  November  C>,  1857;  (^rnou 
L.,  lulv  ,^,  1860;  Ro.secrans,  November  2, 
1862;  Leula,  October  9,  1864;  Pitner,  Novem- 
ber 26,  \^()(\  and  died  Se])teml)er  25,  1867: 
Isabelle,  January  12,  18(18;  Mary,  .\pril  13, 
1869;  a  SdU,  unnamed.  September  j,o.  I'^yj,. 
died  Oetober  3,  1873.  i'jlward  T.,  (ildest  son 
died  December  23.  1892,  unmarried,  in  the 
thirty-sc\-enth  year  of  his  age.  Hattie  V  ha> 
been  mistress  of  her  father's  house  and,  as 
nearly  as  it  is  jMissible  for  any  but  a  real  muther 
to  be,  a  niiitlier  to  the  other  children  e\cr  since 
the  death  (if  lier  mother,  in  ()cti)ber.  1881, 
while   the    f.'unilv   resideil    in   Tuscnla. 

In  lulv.  1861,  Mr.  Rout  entered  the  ser\'- 
ice  I  if  his  ctmntry,  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion, 
and  became  a  member  of  Company  1 1,  Iwenty  ■ 
b^ifth    Regiment    Illinois    X'ohmteer     Infantry, 


and  served  until  October,  1862,  when,  In's 
healtli  failing,  he  w^as  discharged  for  disability 
I'"rom  1868  to  1873  'i^  ^^''^s  ^'^"''  times  elected 
the  assessor  of  his  (Newman)  townshii).  In 
November,  1873.  he  was  elected  to  the  office 
of  county  clerk,  re-elected  in  1877,  and,  by  rea- 
son of  a  change  in  the  constitution  of  the  state, 
an  extra  year  was  added  to  this  term,  which 
expired  in  1882.  making  in  all  nine  years. 
Shortly  after  his  retirement  from  office,  and 
while  on  the  lookout  for  some  permanent  Imsi- 
ness,  he  entered  the  store  of  I'.  M.  Friend  & 
Son.  of  Tuscola,  as  a  clerk,  remaining  until 
Febrnar}-,  1884,  at  which  time  he  bought  a  half 
interest  in  the  large  general  store  of  James 
Cilloglv.  of  Newman,  forming  the  firm  of 
Cillogly  &  Root.  Four  years  thereafter  L. 
E.  Root,  a  brother  of  D.  O.  Root,  l)ought  Mr. 
G."s  interest  in  the  firm  and  it  was  changed  to 
Root  Bros.  The  firm  is  still  in  business,  occu- 
jiving  a  large  two-storv  brick  on  the  north  s'df 
of  the  sipiarc.  fronting  on  X'alcs  street  .Tiid 
extending  north  to  Mathers  street.  w!th  a  rear 
entrance  on  same.  It  is  the  leading  firm  in  the 
citv.  Mr.  l\oot  is  a  member  of  the  M.  K. 
cluu'ch  of  long  standing'.  ha\'ng  entered  its 
fold  in  Jannarv.  1851.  He  is  a  I'^reemason 
and  a  Knight  Templar;  has  also  taken  all  the 
degrees  in  Odd  Fellowship  except  the  uniform 
rank,  and  is  a  memlier  of  the  1\.  of  H.  ;md  ol 
H.  &  L.  of  H.  orders. 

The  family  to  which  Mr.  I\oot  belongs  is 
in  some  res])ects  remarkable.  To  his  ])arents 
there  were  born  twelve  children,  eight  Imys  and 
foiu"  girls,  of  whom  ele\'en  are  lising,  one  son 
ha\-ing  been  killed  lighting  for  the  Hag  in  ibe 
war  of  1861-5,  at  I'erryville.  Ky.,  in  October, 
i8(>2.  These  children  were  all  born  l)et\veen 
1831    and    1852.      His  motlier,   as  has  kefore 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


209 


been  noted  herein,  died  in  1857.  and  in  1862 
liis  father  remarried.  From  tliis  union  one 
son  was  htjrn,  makint;'  the  family  tn-day  con- 
sist of  tlie  orig'in.al  number,  eii^iit  hoys  and 
fotn-  girls,  tlie  yonngest  tliirty-se\en  years  of 
age,  tlie  eldest  near  se\enty.  Six  of  tlic  Itoys 
were  in  the  Union  army  (hn-ing  the  l-Jehelhon. 
t:\e  returning.  .\h  ser\ed  tin'ee  iuW  yeru's  ex- 
cept the  subject  of  this  slsclch.  i"e\\  famihes 
can  show  sncli  a  record. 


JOHN  Ol'LXX. 

Jiihn  Oninn.  jirixate  banker,  grain  dealer, 
and  one  of  the  must  successful  x'nung  ])usiness 
men  of  tlie  count}',  located  in  I'airl.and  in  1SS4 
;is  a  giMin  agent  for  the  tlrm  nf  ll.irnelt,  Kuhn 
&  ComiJanv.  of  Terre  Haute.  Indiau.a.      lie  is 


Mr.  (Juinn  was  born  in  Union  county, 
Ohio.  bVbruary  15,  18(13,  and  there  he  re- 
mained until  he  \\;is  six  years  of  age.  when 
his  ]i,arenls  remnxed  to  (_"ham])aign  county. 
1  le  is  a  son  of  I'atrick  and  llridget  (Juinn.  who 
were  natives  of  Ireland.  His  father  is  retired 
from  acti\'e  business  and  resides  at  I'hilo.  Illi- 
nois. J(j|in  Oninn  was  reared  on  the  farm 
and  received  the  advantages  only  of  the  ncigh- 
l)oring-  schools.  In  1899  he  foundeil  the  b'air- 
land  Exchange  Bank,  which  is  his  own  ]irivate 
in.stitution.  As  a  business  man  he  is  known  to 
be  careful,  safe,  and  possessed  of  sterling  in- 
tegrity. In  1890  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Sarah  F.  Suddeth.  a  native  of  Edgar 
county  ;md  ;i  member  of  ,-i  Kentucky  famil}'. 
'i'hey  ha\e  thi'ee  children:  Otis,  Anna  .and 
Cecil.  Mr.  (Juinn  owns  eighty  acres  of  l.iinl 
northeast  of  Fairl.and,  \'\\c  miles  dist.ant.  Ik- 
is  a  ch.arler  member  of  the  Woodmen.  ;md  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Court  of  Honor. 


SCOTT  i',rk(;i':T 


Scott    r.urgett,  the  proprietor  of  the  New- 

m.ni   ll.ank  .and  one  of  {\\c  successful  lin.anciers 

.and    business    men    of     Illinois,  was    born     in 

Ihaishy     b'ork.     this    couulw     .Scptcnilu-r     11, 

185J,  and   is  ;i  son  of  the  l.ite   I.   W.    I'nrgett. 

whose  sketch   is    found   n]>ou   .■motluT   Jiagc  ot 

this  bodk.      Muring  tlu'  summer  mouths  Scott 

r.urgcll    worki'd    u|ion    his    f.alher's    f.arm    rmd 

ii[  wintci'  ;illen<k-d  the  district   school.      When 

still  as.sociated  with  this  lirm.  banijliug  in  the      .about   se\i'nli'in   ve.ars  df  .age  he  entered    l.ei''s 

neighborhood  of  oui'  hundred   thousand  bush        Academy  ;il    l.ox.a.    llhuois.   .and   .after   le.a\ing 

els  per  year. 
'14 


that    iustituli^'U    went    to    the    st.atc    uorm.al    ,at 


2IO 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Normal,  Illinois,  where  he  completed  his  edu- 
cation. After  returning  home  he  taught  three 
terms  of  school  in  the  Coffey  district,  in  Sar- 
gent township,  and  much  of  his  success  as  a 
teacher  he  claims  he  owes  to  his  life-long 
friend,  \^^  H.  Coffey.  In  March.  1879.  he 
entered  the  large  dry-goods  house  of  James 
Gillogly  in  Newman  as  bookkeeper  and  head 
.salesman,  witli  whom  he  remained  until  1884. 
when  he,  with  1.  N.  Covert,  estahlislied  the 
Newman    Bank.     Mr.     Covert    retired     from 


1  ^ 

■    ^1 

t 

f 

^J 

A 

•.  ■'^^^ 

^"' 

u.^^ 

tf 

B 

children,  five  of  whom  are  living :  Jay  T., 
Bessie  M.,  Eva  O.,  Paul  H.  and  Charles  C, 
and  James  is  deceased. 

Scott  Burgett's  business  ventures  have  been 
thoroughly  successful  and  he  has  the  absolute 
confidence  of  the  entire  public.  He  owns 
some  of  the  fine  lands  in  Ijoth  Newman  and 
Sargent  townships,  and  his  real  estate  hold- 
ings in  Newman  are  large.  He  is  treasurer 
of  the  Newman  Builtling  &  Loan  Association, 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  and  is  a  member  of  the 
order  of  Knights  of  Pythias.  At  present  he 
is  erecting  what  will  be  the  finest  residence  in 
Newman,  costing  some  six  or  eight  thousand 
dollars.  Quiet  and  unassuming  in  his  man- 
ners, he  treats  all  alike,  the  poor  man  as  he 
does  his  rich  neighbors,  and  counts  his  ac- 
quaintances as  his  friends.  In  all  the  relations 
of  life  he  has  been  true  to  his  duty  as  he  h.as 
seen  it,  and  in  business  and  in  society  a  well-de- 
served success  has  come  to  him  as  a  reward 
of  earnest  industry  antl  his  upright  dealings 
with  his   fellow  men. 


active  business  in  1888  and  was  succeeded  to 
tlie  presidency  by  S.  M.  Long,  who  remained 
president  until  his  deatli.  Frnm  tliat  time, 
August  20,  1898,  to  the  present,  it  has  been 
the  private  property  of  Mr.  Burgctt.  In  the 
bank's  management  he  is  assisted  by  J.  W. 
King  and  George  Moore. 

Sei)tember  2,  1879,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Alice  V.  Hopkins,  daughter  of  the  late  James 
Hopkins,  who  was  one  of  the  jirominent  ])ii>- 
neers  of  Douglas  ciunity.     Thc}'  have  had  six 


A.  HAYWWRD. 

A.  Flayward,  who  has  been  the  railroad 
station  and  ticket  agent  at  Camargo  for  twen- 
ty-three years,  was  born  near  Belfast,  Ireland, 
November  23,  1849,  and  was  reared  to  man- 
hood in  the  ncighborlu^od  of  Cranbniok,  coun- 
ty Kent,  England,  where  he  attended  the  or- 
dinary school  of  that  day.  He  is  a  son  of 
P.enjamin  Ilayward,  who  was  a  member  and 
organist  of  the  Church  of  England  at   Inch, 


JJiOGRArJiiCAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


21  I 


hear  Iklfast.  Ireland,  lie  was  a  fine  niusi-  Cusiey.  They  lia\e  (uie  (jaiii^hter.  .Mary 
eiaii.  i>layini^  hdtli  (ir,-;aii  and  violin  with  i.;real  I'.Iizahetli.  wIk.  is  ninelecn  years  of  a.i^e.  He 
proficiency.  His  father  died  in  1S55.  His  i^  a  nieniher  i.l'  the  Cc.nrt  ni  Ih.n.n-  and  at 
mother,  who  was,  before  she  was  married,  proent  holds  the  office  of  chancellor.  .Mr. 
Marg-aret  Carr,  was  a  native  of  Ciuint)  Down,  Ihiyward  owns  a  pleasant  liome  in  C.-nnari^-o, 
Ireland,  and  was  reared  ne;.r  llelfaM.  His  besides  eisfhty  acres  of  land  ni  .Murdoch  town- 
great-.Lj-rand lather,  John  lla\\\ard,  w.asanex-  .ship.  He  has  been  town  clerk  of  Caniaroo 
ceediiigly  wealthy  man,  and  because  his  sons  for  six  years  and  was  .secretary  of  the  1  )ou-las 
were  of  dissolute  habits  he  be(|ueatlied  his  county  fair  for  ten  years,  I  ie  was  also  assist- 
ant ,!;"ener,il  superintendent  of  tl;e  st;'te  fair  in 
iX()7-(;X,  ;iuil  scr\ed  as  delc.'.;;ile  to  the  Court 
I 'I  Hon.  ir  of  l)ou,L;las  couul\-.  which  met  111 
.^])nii.-lield  ill  iX()i).  He  h;is  in.ade  his  own 
way  in  the  busiin.-ss  world  ;i;id  at  present 
occupies  ;iii  eii'.iable  position  111  the  affairs  of 
Di  uiLjlas  countw 


(  IIAKI.ICS.S.  S.\X1)I'()RD. 

Charles  .'^.  .Sand  ford,  of  Tuscola,  Illinois, 
is  the  sou  of  Is.iac  and  r.eliud.i  (  boster  )  Sand- 
lord.  1  he  lather  w,is  born  ,it  Ih'idyeb.untou, 
wealth  to  charity.  an<l  it  is  known  to  tu  s  da_\  Coui;  Isl.ind.  in  iji^h,  ,-ind  luarrieil  Belinda 
as  the  ll.ayw.ard  ch.arity  fund,  so  inrc'i  ol  boster,  who  was  bom  in  llannltou  c..iiiit\, 
which  is  .i;iveu  out  each  year  by  the  p.ir  sh  ol  (  Jliio.  in  1  70'"^.  Ibc  proocuitor  of  tin'  S.aud- 
t  ranbrook  to  the  po.ir  of  the  ]),irish.  His  lords  011  I  ,oii!^  Island  firs)  settled  iieai'  1  losii  lu, 
ni.aternal  t;randfalher,  b'dward  C.irr,  was  born  .Massachusetts,  in  the  war  i()4().  ddiis  branch 
in    Scotland.  of  the  fainil\-  trci-  h;is  had  numerous  descciiil 

.\.  H.ayw.ird  came  to  this  couiitr\-  in  iX-o.  ants,  identified  with  important  movements  at 
and  after  spending;  three  months  in  Syracuse  an  e;irly  d.ay  in  the  historv  of  Con.i;-  Island, 
came  direct  to  'fnsrola.  where  he  followed  the  Many  of  them  particip.ated  in  the  b.attle  of 
li.iinter's  tr;ule  and  rem.iiiied  here  si.\  years.  l.oii^-  Island,  ,uiil  some  of  them  were  minute 
He  soon  afterwards  learned  the  telei^raph  busi-  men.  Isaac  SandfonI  emis^r.ited  to  b.doar 
ness  and  located  in  Camart;-o.  county.    Illinois,   iu    1  Sjo.      He  served   as  c;i])- 

In  iSSo  .lur  subject  w.as  wed<led  to  Miss  tain  in  the  I'.l.ack  Ibawk  war  and  was  lat  .-r 
Julia    OTonnor.    a    step  (l,an.<;iiter    of     .Martin      commissione<l  as  briy.adier-yeneral  of  the  stal; 


212 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


militia  In'  (iDXcnmr  Ivcyiidlils  in  1X33.  lie 
lu'ld  ili;it  ])osili()n  for  ril'tecn  years,  after  whieli 
time  he  resig'ued.  (ieneral  Sandfurd  was  a 
man  nf  sjreat  financial  aliilitv  and  remarkalile 


cnerg-}-.  At  tlie  time  nt  his  death,  in  1853.  he 
was  (me  of  the  weaUhiest  men  in  Edgar  county. 

Cliarles  S.  .Sandford's  maternal  grand- 
father. Luke  I'oster,  was  one  of  the  associate 
judges  of  llaniilton  cmnty,  Ohio,  lie  was 
born  at  l\i\erhead.  Long  Isl.and.  The  h'os- 
ttrs  setttled  on  Long  Island  as  early  as  the 
Sandfi  )rds. 

C.  S.  Sandford  grew  to  manhood  on  the 
farm:  attended  school  at  I'Ldgar  .\cademv,  at 
I'aris.  Illinois,  and  afterward  for  a  time  at 
(ireencastle  (Indiana)  Asl)ur\'  Lniversitv — 
now  known  as  the  Del'auw  L'ni\ersity.  in 
1855  he  was  married  to  Susan  J.  Judson,  a 
native  of  C'onnecticut.  ?Ier  girlhood  home 
was  in  \^icksburg,  Mississippi,  but  her  later 
education  was  received  at  Steubenville,  Ohio. 
I\Irs.  Sandford  hails  froiu  a  famil_\-  of  decided 
literary  tastes,  her  own  inclinatiiius  and  prac- 


tice in  the  se\eral  comnumities  where  resid- 
ing being-  to  promote  and  forward  intellectual 
ad\ancement.  To  their  marriage  ha\e  been, 
born  six  children  :  Walter  .Alexander  died  in 
infancy;  Janet  J.  is  the  wife  of  Capt.  Wm.  T. 
Wood,  wdio  was  graduated  from  West  Point 
in  the  class  of  1S77.  arid  at  present  is  serx-ilig 
as  treasurer  at  Manila,  in  the  Philippine  Is- 
lands, under  Cieneral  Otis.  They  ha\-e  sons  ■ 
Halsey  W'.,  Sheridan  C.  and  Isaac  Russell. 
Sheridan  C.  has  had  an  extensi\-e  experience 
as  a  commercial  traxeler.  (irace  Foster  is  the 
wife  of  Dr.  W",  K.  Pur\iance.  ass'stant  sur 
geon  in  the  L'nitLnl  States  arm\',  with  the  rank 
ol  captain,  n(jw  stationed  at  Fort  Egbert, 
Alaska.  Isa;ic  J\.ussell,  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  is  partner  with  his  father  in  dr\--goods 
and  general  merchandise  at  \'illa  Gro\e,  Illi- 
nois. 

^Ir.  Sandford's  business  career  has  been 
one  of  unusual  di\-ersity.  In  1S50  he  made 
the  oxerland  route  to  California  and  engaged 
in  mining  for  two  years;  afterwards  handled 
cattle  in  Etlgar  connty  and  Douglas  connty. 
Illinois;  made  and  im[)ro\cd  two  farms  from 
the  \'irgin  soil — one  in  each  of  the  above  conn- 
ties,  lie  was  a  ])artner  in  the  wholesale  and 
retail  house  of  C.  C  .Smith  iV  Co.,  Terre 
Ilaute,  hid.,  in  iS<>3,  Came  to  Tuscola  and 
followed  merchandising,  in  which,  since  1863, 
he  has  Ijeen  acti\ely  engaged. 


TOHX  T.  TODD. 


John  Thomas  Todd,  who  is  one  of  the  most 
acti\'e  and  successful  business  men  of  Tuscola 
and   who  has  been  with  the  exception  of  two 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


21  I 


near  Belfast,  Ireland,  lie  was  a  fine  niusi- 
eian.  playing  both  organ  .ami  xiolin  with  great 
liroficiency.  Hi.s  father  died  in  1S55.  His 
mother,  who  was,  before  she  was  married. 
Margaret  Carr,  was  a  nati\-e  of  connty  Down, 
Ireland,  and  was  reared  near  Belfast.  His 
great-grandfather,  JmIhi  IK'uward.  was  an  ex- 
ceedingly wealtliy  man,  .and  becatise  his  suns 
were  of    dissolute  h.abits     he  lieinieaihed  liis 


C'ogley.  They  have  one  danghter,  Mary 
Elizabeth,  who  is  nineteen  years  of  age.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Court  of  Honor  and  at 
present  holds  the  ofhce  of  chancellor.  Mr. 
Hayward  owns  a  pleasant  home  in  Camargo, 
besides  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Murdock  lown- 
shii).  lie  has  been  town  clerk  of  Camargo 
tor  six  }-ears  and  was  secretary  of  the  Donglas 
county  fair  for  ten  years.  He  was  also  assist- 
ant general  superintendent  of  the  state  fair  in 
1897-98,  and  served  as  a  delegate  to  the  Court 
of  Honor  for  Douglas  county,  which  met  in 
Springfield  in  1899.  He  has  made  his  own 
way  in  tlie  business  world  and  at  present 
occnpit's  an  en\iable  ])ositi>in  in  the  affairs  of 
Douglas  coinitv. 


Cll.\Ul.b:S  S.  SAX'l'OKl). 

Charles  S.  .Sandfonl.  of  Tuscola,  Illinois, 
is  the  son  of  Isaac  ;mil  Belinda  (  b'oster  )  .Sand- 
fcr<l.  The  father  \\a^  born  at  I '.ridgrh.imton, 
wealth  to  charity,  and  it  is  known  to  this  day  Long  Island,  i)i  iji/i,  .and  mai'iai'd  Bclind,! 
as  the  llayw.ard  cli.arity  fund,  so  nnich  of  I'oster,  who  w.as  boiai  in  1  l.imilton  counfv, 
which  is  gi\en  out  each  year  by  the  [i.arish  of  (  )hio.  in  1708.  TIk-  progenitor  of  the  .Sand 
Cranbrook  to  the  ]>i"<v  of  the  p.arish.  His  fords  on  l.oug  Bland  lirst  --eltled  near  Boston, 
m.alcrn.al  gr.andf.athei',  bdward  C.arr.  was  born  M.assachusetls,  in  the  \'e;ir  lO.p).  This  branch 
in  .Scotland.  ol   the  family  li'ee  h,as  had  numerous  descend- 

.'\.  Hayward  came  to  this  counti'y  in  1870,  .ants,  identified  with  im])iirt.ant  mo\-emcuts  ,at 
and  after  spending  three  months  in  .Syracuse  an  e.arly  d.iy  in  the  hi>torv  of  Long  Island, 
came  direct  to  Tuscola,  where  he  followed  the  Many  of  them  p.irticip.aled  in  the  battle  of 
painter's  trade  .and  reni,aiiu'<l  here  six  years.  Bong  Isl.ind.  .and  some  of  lln^ni  wei-e  mimite 
1  le  soon  .afterw.ard  learned  tlu'  telegrajili  busi-  men.  Is.aac  .S.andford  enn'gratcil  to  b'dg.ar 
uess  .and  located  in  Cam.argo.  coinUw    Illinois,   in    i8jo.      lie  served   ;is  cap 

In  1880  our  subject  w:is  wedded  to  Miss  lain  in  tlu'  Black  llawl<  w.ar  .and  w.as  Later 
Juli.a    O'Connor,   ,a    stepdaughter    of     M.artin      commissioned  as  brig.adiergener.al  of  the  sl.ate 


212 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


militia  by  Gdvernor  Reynolds  in  1833.  He 
held  that  position  for  fifteen  years,  after  which 
time  he  resigned.  General  Sand  ford  was  a 
man  of  srreat  financial  aliilitv  and  remarkable 


energy.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1853,  he 
was  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  Edgar  county. 

Charles  S.  Sandford's  maternal  grand- 
father, Luke  Foster,  was  one  of  the  associate 
judges  of  Hamilton  county,  Ohio.  He  was 
born  at  Riverhead.  Long  Island.  The  Fos- 
ters settled  on  Long  Island  as  early  as  the 
Sandfords. 

C.  S.  Sandford  grew  to  manhood  on  tlie 
farm;  attended  school  at  Edgar  Academy,  at 
Paris,  Illinois,  and  afterward  for  a  time  at 
Greencastle  (Indiana)  Asbury  L'ni\ersity — 
now  known  as  the  DePanw  LTniversity.  In 
1855  he  was  married  to  Susan  J.  Judson,  a 
native  of  Connecticut.  Her  girlhood  home 
was  in  Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  but  her  later 
education  was  received  at  Steubcn\'illc.  Ohio. 
Mrs.  Sandford  h.ails  frnm  ;i  family  of  decided 
literary  tastes,  her  own  iiiclinatinns  and  prac- 


tice in  tlie  scN'eral  communities  where  resiil- 
ing  lieing  to  promote  and  forward  intellectual 
advancement.  To  their  marriage  have  been 
born  six  children :  Walter  Alexander  died  in 
infancy;  Janet  J.  is  the  wife  of  Capt.  Wm.  T. 
Wood,  who  was  tjraduatcd  from  W'est  Point 
in  the  class  of  1S77,  and  at  present  is  serx'ing 
as  treasurer  at  Manila,  in  the  Phillipine  Is- 
lands, under  General  Otis.  They  have  sons : 
Halsey  W.,  Sheridan  C.  and  Isaac  Russell. 
Sheridan  C.  has  had  an  extensive  experience 
as  a  commercial  traveler.  Grace  Foster  is  the 
wife  of  Dr.  W.  E.  Purviance,  assistant  sur- 
geon in  the  Lhiited  States  army,  with  the  rank 
of  captain,  now  stationed  at  Fort  Egbert, 
.Vlaska.  Isaac  Russell,  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  is  partner  with  his  father  in  dry-goods 
and  general  merchandise  at  Villa  Grove.  Illi- 
nois. 

Mr.  Sandford's  business  career  has  been 
one  of  unusual  diversity.  In  1850  he  made 
the  overland  route  to  California  and  engaged 
in  mining  for  twii  years ;  afterwartl  handled 
cattle  in  Edgar  comity  and  Douglas  county, 
Illinois;  made  and  improved  two  farms  from 
the  virgin  soil — one  in  each  of  the  above  coun- 
ties. He  was  a  partner  in  the  wholesale  and 
retail  house  of  C.  C.  Smith  &  Co.,  Terre 
Haute.  Ind.,  in  1893.  Came  to  Tuscola  and 
followed  merchandising,  in  which,  since  1S63, 
he  has  been  actively  engaged. 


JOHN   T.   TODD. 

John  Thomas  Todd,  who  is  one  of  the  most 
active  ;uid  successful  business  men  of  Tuscola 
and   who  b;is  been  with  the  exception  of  two 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


!'3 


years,  agent  for  the  I.  D.  &  W.  Railway  Com- 
pany from  the  time  tlie  road  was  Iniilt  to  the 
present,  having  first  entered  its  service  as  agent 
at  Marshall,  Indiana,  on  Augnst  i,  1879,  was 
))orn  in  Edgar  connty,  Illinois,  June  8,  1862. 
He  was  reareil  in  Edgar  and  Champaign  coun- 
ties and  received  his  educati(Hi  in  the  puhlic 
schnols  at  Xewman.     In  1866  his  jiareiUs  re- 


mmcd  til  Douglas  county  and  settled  i>n  a 
farm  near  Xewman.  lie  is  a  son  of  David 
and  Mariah  (\\'il,s(in)  Todd,  who  were  natives 
of  Ireland,  and  who  were  both  Episcopalians 
in  their  religious  belief.  Da\id  Todd  was  ;i 
hiinkhinder  Iiv  trade  anil  in  about  1844  emi- 
grated til  this  ciiuntry,  first  settling  in  New 
York  City,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  until 
1855.  when  he  emigrated  west  and  located  on 
a  farm  in  Eilgar  county.  The  graml fathers 
of  Mr.  Todd  were  James  Todd  ami  William 
Wilson,   both  born   in   Ireland. 

In  1883  Mr.  Todd  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Laura,  a  daughter  of  L.  J.  Cash,  of 


Newman.  He  is  the  founder  of  the  Douglas 
County  Telephone  Company,  now  a  sub- 
licensee of  the  .American  ricll  rclciilione  t'om- 
pany,  the  change  being  made  in  order  to  get  the 
use  of  the  instruments  and  the  long-distance 
connections  of  the  Bell  Comi)any.  Mr.  Todd 
is  still  the  president  and  business  manager  of 
llie  Company,  with  J.  W.  Ilamiliou  as  sec- 
retary. In  1892  he  removed  to  Chicago, 
where  he  was  engaged  for  two  years  in  per- 
fecting and  tleveloping  an  invention  known 
as  the  "thermograph,"  of  which  .Mr.  Todd  is 
the  patentee  and  inventor.  This  instrument 
is  for  automatically  recording  the  \-arialions 
of  temperature  of  refrigerator  cars  while  in 
transit,  also  of  the  several  rooms  of  cold  stor- 
age plants,  hot  houses,  etc..  where  it  is  ilesira- 
hle  that  a  uniform  temperature  be  maintained. 
With  Mr.  TchM's  in\-ention  it  is  possible  to 
have  a  printed  record  made  on  a  narrow'  strip 
of  jiaper  ribbon,  showing  the  \'ariations  of 
temperature  at  such  intervals  of  time  as  may 
be  desired,  froiu  the  time  a  car  of  meat  leaves 
Chicago  until  it  arrives  in  San  Francisco,  from 
which  record  any  neglect  in  re-icing  car  en 
route  ma\-  be  located,  and  ;is  the  record  shows 
the  time  of  day  and  date  of  every  variation, 
it  is  an  easy  m.atter  to  place  the  res])onsibi!ity 
for  any  neglect  by  the  se\eral  railway  com- 
panies handlig  the  car. 

John  r.  Ti  >dd  is  a  member  of  the  M.asonic 
fraternitw  .and  his  standing  ;is  a  man.  espe- 
cially in  I'ailroad  circles,  is  second  to  none. 
During  his  residence  in  Tuscola  he  has  borne 
an  important  ]iarl  in  the  ])rogress  of  the  city, 
.and  his  courteous  manner  ;md  his  integrity 
and  abilit}-  ha\e  wnn  him  a  high  place  in  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens. 


214 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


CARL  S.  BLJRGETT. 

Carl  S.  Burgctt  was  burn  in  Sargent  ti^vvn- 
ship.  Douglas  county.  Illin(.)is.  July  2,  1867, 
and  is  a  son  of  I.  \V.  Burgett,  whose  death 
occurred  in  1884  and  wlmse  sketch  is  found 
elsewhere.  .After  leaving  the  common  schools 
Mr.   Burgett   attended  high   school  at   Green- 


field, Iowa,  and  the  Commercial  Cnllege  at 
Terre  Haute.  Indiana.  In  i8yi  he  located  in 
Newman  ami  has  been  engaged  in  buying  and 
selling  broom  corn  and  the  manufacturing  of 
brooms;  he  is  also  engaged  in  the  fire  insur- 
ance business  and  buying  and  shipi)ing  stock. 
In  1894  Mr.  Burgett  was  wedded  to  Miss 
Emma  Gillogly,  a  daughter  of  James  Gillogly, 
of  Newman.  To  them  have  been  l)orn  three 
children:  Lois  V.,  Carl  .Stanton  and  Gladys. 
Besides  his  business  interests  in  Newman  Mr. 
Burgett  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land  in  Sargent  tovv'usliip.  He  is  a  Mason 
and  belongs  to  the  Melita  Commander}'  of 
Knights   Teiuplar  of  Tuscola.     i\Ir.    Burgett 


has  for  .several  years  past  taken  an  active  and 
influential  part  in  the  councils  of  his  party  and 
was  elected  as  a  Republican  to  the  lower  house 
iif  the  (ieneral  Assembly  (if  Illinois  in  the  fall 
cif  1898.  While  a  member  of  this  body  he 
was  con.scientious  in  his  work  and  was  seldom 
absent  at  roll-call.  He  served  on  the  commit- 
tees on  agriculture,  appropriations,  banks  and 
banking,  labor  and  intlustrial  affairs,  penal  and 
reformatories  and  railroads.  It  was  largely 
due  to  his  efliciency  as  a  law  maker  that  his 
party  in  the  recent  primaries  gave  him  the  re- 
nomination  without  opposition  for  re-election 
to  the  same  office.  Socially  Carl  S.  Burgett 
is  one  of  the  most  companionable  of  fellows 
and  thoroughly  appreciates  the  confidence  and 
esteem  placed  in  him  liy  the  general  public. 


ALBERT  B.  S.VW'YER. 

Albert  B.  Sawyer  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Milton,  Chittenden  county,  Vermont.  January 
3,  1837.  Since  1885  he  has  been  a  resident 
of  Tuscola,  Illinois,  having  from  that  time 
until  1899  been  a  member  of  the  dry-goods 
firm  of  W'ardall  &  Sawyer. 

In  Mr.  Sawyer's  chiklhood  his  parents 
came  to  Illinois,  living  near  and  finally  in 
Joliet.  His  boyhootl  and  youth  were  spent  in 
that  part  of  the  state,  on  the  farm,  going  to 
school  or  assisting  his  father,  Jed  Sawyer,  in 
filling  the  extensive  railroad  contracts  which 
he  took  when  the  railroads  around  Joliet  were 
being  built.  Having  gone  to  Texas  in  i860, 
he  li\ed  near  Houston  until  after  the  Civil  war 
broke  out,  when,  being  unable  to  retiuMi  to  the 


BIOGRAl'IITCAT.  AND  HISTORICAL. 


315 


iinrth  except  as  a  Confederate  SDldier,  lie  land  in  alu  ml  the  year  1  fiS5  and  settled  in  cast- 
tinaied  to  the  west,  finally  entering'  the  Repnb-  ern  I'ennsyhania,  ne;!r  Philadelphia.  In 
lie  of  Mexico.  Thei'e  he  turned  his  attention  ahout  \y<-)0  Alurris  Cdvert.  his  t^rand father. 
t<i   the   great    hnsiness   of   nunhern    .Mexico —      c;jne  to  western    Tennsylvania  and   settled   in 

I  aulei'  C(  iiHit\'.  I  le  hecanie  a  large  land  <  i\\  nei', 
being  al)le  to  give  eitch  ot  his  tweKe  children 
a  farm.  John  Co\ei't.  the  father  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  was  one  of  the  steady,  sub- 
stantial fanners  of  that  section.  I.  \.  C  M\ert 
grew  to  nianhiHid  ou  his  father's  farm,  .\lter 
attending  the  common  schools  he  com])leted 
what  schoi'l  education  he  I'eceued  at  North 
.'^e<lgw  ids'  .\ca<lem\'.  in  lleaxer  count\'.  I'enn- 
svlxania.  In  the  fall  of  \X^i)  he  came  west 
and  located  ,at  .Xewnian.  Illinois,  and  t.night 
the  Hopkins  school,  one  mile  sduth  (if  Xew- 
man.  three  successive  winters  before  the  Cixil 
war  and  one  year  after  its  close.  lie  was 
maiaaiMl.  .'-leptember  _'.   iSdo.  Iw  the  l\e\'.   l\Mer 

Wallace,  of  the  .Methodisi  church  n\  this  ]ilace. 
siber  mining — in  which  he  was  engaged  from 

i(S62  to  18X4,  when  he  sulci  out  his  nnning  in- 
terests there  and  returned  to  lllinciis.  Two 
vears  pre\ionsl\'  he  had  m.arned  .Miss  l''ann\ 
M.  W'ardall.  ..t  d'olonM,  Ijhn.-is.  1'.,  their 
miiuu  li\e  children  have  bcjn  Ixirn;  Harriet. 
.Mbert  L')..  Jr..  .Margaret,  (ici'trude  .and  John 
W  .  Since  1XS3  their  hnme  h.as  been  in  Ins- 
cola. 


1.  X.  CON'F.RT. 


I.  \'.  Coxert.  one  ol  the  retireil  men  froni 
active  business  and  a  most  wortliv  citizen  of 
.Xewinan.  Illinois,  was  boiai  in  llntler  county.  t<  .Miss  S.  L.  W'ebstei-.  of  Athens,  (  )hio.  hae- 
I'ennsyKania.  I  )ecember  j.  iS.^J.  Mr.  Covert  ing  been  the  first  couple  wlio  were  ntarrit'd  in 
descended  I roni  ancestors  who  came  fr<pni  llol-      the    church.      .Mrs.    Covert,    who    was    a    verv 


2l6 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


wcirtln-  woiiian,  was  a  niece  of  Mother  Stew- 
art, will  I  was  known  in  Ohio  as  the  pioneer 
temperance  crusader.  Mr.  Covert,  in  1862, 
enlisted  in  the  Seventy-ninth  Regiment  of  Illi- 
nois Volunteers,  and  serx-ed  honorahly  in  that 
regiment  throughout  the  war,  recei\'ing  his 
discharge  in  June,  1865.  He  hought  and  im- 
proved a  farm  in  Edgar  ciumty,  three  and  one- 
half  miles  south  of  the  city,  where  he  resided 
from  the  year  1866  to  1882,  when  he  rented 
h:s  farm  and  nKwcd  to  Xewman.  In  the 
spring  of  1S84  he  fcirmed  a  partnership  with 
Scott  Burgett  and  engaged  in  the  hanking 
Inisiness,  having  heen  the  first  ])resi(lent  of  the 
Newman  Bank.  Mrs.  Ci)\-ert  died  August  17. 
1887,  and  in  1888  he  found  the  close  confine- 
ment of  his  husiness  injurinus  to  his  health 
and  sold  his  interest  in  the  hank  to  S.  M.  Long, 
deceased,  whose  sketch  is  found  on  another 
page.  Mr.  Ciwert  has  recently  comijleted  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  cottages  in  Newman. 
He  has  been  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
church  since  its  organization  and  is  one  of  the 
church's  most  devoted  leaders;  he  is  also  a 
Knight  Templar  in  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


LAWRENCE  E.  ROOT. 

Lawrence  E.  Root,  member  of  the  well- 
known  dr\'-goods  iirni  of  Root  Brothers,  of 
Newman,  was  born  in  Rome  townshii),  Athens 
cotuitv,  ( )hio,  NoNcniber  16,  1848,  and  was 
the  ninth  child  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Levi 
Root,  ])iiineer  settlers  of  .\thcns  county  (see 
sketch  of  brother,  IX  O.  Root,  for  ancestry). 
I  Ic  rcm,iine<l  on  the  farm  with  his  p.arcnts  until 


1863,  when,  in  the  spring  of  that  year,  he  en- 
listed in  Company  K.  Third  West  \'irgiuia 
Ca\-alry.  At  the  time  of  his  enlistment  he  was 
only  a  little  past  fourteen  years  of  age,  being 
the  youngest  private  soldier  there  has  been 
any  record  found  of  so  far.  Going  out  in  the 
winter  of  1862-63,  he  served  with  Sheridan  in 
the  Shenandoah  vallev,  Custer's  division,  and 


served  up  to  the  surremler  of  Lee.  at  Appo- 
mattox Court  House.  At  the  close  of  the  war 
Mr.  Root  returned  to  Athens,  and  in  1867 
came  west  and  settled  in  Douglas  county,  lo- 
cating on  a  farm  south  of  Newman,  where  he 
was  successfully  engaged  in  farming  up  to 
1888.  In  that  year  he  formed  a  partnershii) 
with  his  brother,  D.  O.  Root,  in  the  general 
dry-g<io(ls  business,  which  has  coiuinued  most 
successfully  up  to  the  present  time.  While  on 
the  farm  he  served  four  years  as  .supervisor 
of  Sargent  township,  in  which  township  he 
resided  from  1871  to  1888.  He  also  served 
as  suiier\-isor  of  Newman  township  two  years, 
and    from    i8()()  to    18(^4  he  ser\-ed   most  eftL 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


2i; 


ciently  as  treasurer  of  tlie  cmmty.  ^fr.  I\iHit 
since  his  residence  in  Xcwniaii  has  scrxed  in 
the  city  cnuncil.  and  lias  l)een  thurnuglih-  iden- 
tilied  with  the  hest  interests  (>\  the  cit_\-.  lie 
is  a  hn-ge  stockholder  in  the  Xewnian  h'lectric 
Li.glit  (S:  Canning  Coini)an_\'.  lie  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Xewnian  Lodge,  Xo.  t,U).  of  Masons; 
a  Knight  Templar,  belonging  to  Alelita  C'oni- 
mandery.  Xo.  t,j.  of  Tuscola;  a  Knight  of 
Pythias,  and  a  member  of  the  ( i.  A.  R.  and 
Knig'hts  of  Houi  ir. 

The  store  room  occu|)ie<l  b\'  Koot  brothers 
is  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  by  twentv,  two 
stories;  the  n])])er  story  is  filled  with  clothing. 
l)()ots,  etc.  The  lirm  eni|)lo\s  (i\e  clerks,  ami 
carries  from  fifteen  to  twentv  thousand  dcrl- 
lars  Worth  of  stock. 

In  1X70  our  subject  we<ldcd  Miss  X'.ashti 
Winkler,  of  .\ewtu;ni,  ;i  d.augliter  of  (h.-iiies 
;md  .SiuTili  (L.aue)  Winkk'r,  uali\cs  of  Ken- 
tucky ;md  (  )hio  respee'tix  I'ly.  To  the  union 
ba\e  been  born  nine  cbildi"en.  whose  n.amcs. 
with  dates  of  birth,  are  as  follows:  AlcKiu 
i...  January  27.  1  S7  i  ;  Wallace  !-'...  J.annarv  1  1. 
1S73;  iJianche.  .M.arch  jX.  1X73;  Ina,  .March 
--■  ^'^77'-  Crace.  July  jj.  \Sjfr.  I'anl  A..  Se]i- 
leniber  X.  iXXi;  1  lattie  i.,ane,  I  )cccmber  _'X. 
1XX3:  M.adge.  December  11,  1XX7;  Lois,  An 
gust  (J,  iXi>o.  (  )iily  Melvin  and  Wallace  are 
m.arried.  The  members  ,  if  the  f,-iniilv  are  iden- 
tilled  with  the  .\l.   k.  church  of  Xewnian. 


count}-.  Illinois.  March  1.  1X76.  lie  was 
reared  on  .a  f.arm  and  received  his  principal 
educati<in  at  Tuscola  and  Terre  I  laule.  Ills 
lirst  business  \entnre  was  in  partnership  with 
A.  J.  I'arke.  in  the  restaurant  business  in 
llindsboro.  ;it  which  they  continued  success- 
fully for  :i  short  lime.  In  1  X(;X  Mr.  Carnahan 
engaged  in  his  present  business,  and  his  success 
has   l)een   remarkable,      lie  carries  a    full    line 


CLARF.Xtd-,    II.    CAK'XAIIAX. 

C_  karence   II.   C'.arnab.an.  one  of  the  le;iiling 
merchants  oi  I  linilsln  iri  >.  and  ;i  pri  mi i sing  busi 
iiess  man  o|   the  coniu\',  was  born  in   houLilas 


ot  dry-goods,  notions  and  ginceries  and  has 
llu'  entire  conlidence  of  tin-  people  in  llinds- 
bo|-.  I  .and  I'.owdre  township.  In  .addition  to 
bis  mercantile  interests  he  owns  fort\-  acres  of 
valuable  land  ne.ir  the  \ill.ige. 

Mr.  ('arn.ahan  is  a  son  of  kobert  A.  ("ar- 
iialian.  who  was  born  September  j_>,  |X_^<),  in 
I'leming  county.  I\t'ntuck\.  ;ind  is  a  son  of 
Jackson  a.nd  .M.argaret  (  .'^ousley )  C'arii.ahan. 
with  whom  he  removed  from  Kiaitnckv  to  In- 
di.an.a  in  1X47,  In  1X57  the  f.amilw  moved  |.i 
(  oles  coiinlv,  where,  111  1  X0(  1,  l.acksriu  (,  .arn.a- 
liau  dii-d.  vvbii'h  ihi'evv  the  snppoiM  of  the  will- 
ow ed  niotlu'r  ;iiid  younger  children  u])on   Kob- 


2l8 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


ert,  who  was  the  eldest  child,  llis  business 
in  life  was  farming,  cattle  dealing  and  trading, 
in  all  of  which  he  was  very  prosperous ;  ha\ng 
no  capital  to  start  on,  he  accumulated  a  good 
property  by  industry  anil  good  management. 
In  1869  he  liought  eighty  acres  of  the  present 
homestead  antl  later  added  eighty  acres  more. 
It  was  unimproved,  but  later  became  one  of 
the  fine  farms  of  Bowdre  township. 

Our  su])ject  was  twice  married.  His  first 
wife  was  Miss  Sarah  E.  Herbert,  daughter  of 
William  J.  and  Martha  (1.  (Arasmith)  Her- 
bert, of  Coles  county.  His  second  wife  was 
Miss  Mahala  Herbert,  sister  of  his  first  wife. 
By  the  last  marriage  there  was  born  one  child, 
a  son,  Clarence  H.  Jackson  Carnahan's  death 
occurred  March  8,  1879.  Clarence  H.  Carna- 
han  is  one  of  the  youngest  men  in  successful 
business  in  the  county,  and  displays  a  reniark- 
al)le  tact  and  aptitude  in  handling  details.  So- 
ciallv  he  is  popular  with  his  friends. 


V.  C.  McNEER. 


"Probably  no  death  that  has  ever  occurred 
in  Tuscola  came  more  suddenly  or  caused  more 
expressions  of  regret  and  genuine  sorrow  to 
be  heard  among  our  people  than  that  of  V. 
C.  McXeer,  which  occurred  at  Areola  at 
about  8:30  o'clock  on  Friday  morning  last. 
It  came  like  a  shock  to  his  innumerable  friends 
in  this  city,  and  many  could  hardly  realize 
that  he  had  ])as.sed  to  the  beyond  and  that  he 
would  mingle  no  more  among  us. 

"Mr.  McNeer,  who  has  bought  stock  in 
this  county  for  many  years,  had  occasion  to 
go  to  Areola  that  morning  to  receive  some  hogs 


from  John  Jones.  The  fast  mail  leaves  here 
at  an  earlv  hour,  and  in  order  to  make  the  train 
he  was  com]^elled  to  run  from  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  to  the  dejjot.  It  is  su]iposed  that 
this  over-e.Kertion  ha<l  the  effect  of  bringing 
on  the  attack  of  cerebral  apoplexy  whicli  car- 
ried him  off  soon  after  his  arrival  in  Areola. 

"After  arriving  in  that  city  he  went  to  the 
.scale  office  of  \\'.  S.  Jocelyn.  where  he  met  his 
agent,  Israel  Tra\-ener,  and  soon  afterward  he 
sat  down  to  write  a  check  in  payment  for  the 
animals.      He  arose,  and  a  moment  later  was 


1 

at^^^^^^ 

% 

;pSf   "^(Cv 

1 

f^ 

f 

(Bj 

^ 

seen  to  have  a  peculiar  look,  as  though  in 
agony.  He  passed  his  hand  to  the  back  of  his 
head  and  said  that  he  felt  a  severe  pain.  He 
had  scarcely  made  the  remark  when  he  seized 
the  arm  of  Travener  anil  reeled  as  if  al)ont  to 
fall.  The  latter  eased  him  to  the  floor  and 
sent  for  a  physician  at  once,  but  it  was  too  late. 
The  stricken  man  never  breathed  a  word  after 
receiving  the  fatal  stroke,  and  died  in  fifteen 
minutes.  Dr.  McKinney  attended  him,  but 
no  assistance  could  be  gi\-en.  He  was  carried 
tc  the  Areola  hotel,  near  by,  and  expired  in  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  219 


room  adjoining  the  ofificc.     \V.    H.    Hancock  children,   wlio  liave  snffered   the  loss  of  one 

aijd  John  W'allin.q-  were  in  the  city  at  the  time,  who  was  near  and  dear  to  them,   and   whose 

htit   arrived   a    few   nunutes    after    he    i)assed  every  thou!;iit  was  to  make  tiieni  coml'ortahlc 

away.  and  haiijiy. 

"On  receipt  of  the  painfnl  news  here,  the  "For  a  (|iianer  of  a  centurv   Mr.   .McXecr 

Odd  Fellows  apjjointed  a  committee  to  go  at  has   made   his   home   in    tJiis   ccunnuinity.   and 

once  and  take  charge  of  the  remains,  he  heing  dtnang   that    time    he    has    had    hiisiness    rcla- 

an   honored    nicmher   <>\    ih.at   <irder.      His   re-  tions  with  linn(h-eds  oi  \m>\)\c  thronghout  the 

mains  arrived  here  on  llie  .aflenKmn  tniin.  and  comity.     His  husiness  took  him  to  everv  town 

were  met    at    the   depnt     hy     se\cral     hmuh-ed  within  a  radius  of  twenty  miles,  and  his  circle 

P^'^'P''-'-  of  ac(|uaintances  was  perhaps  larger  than  that 

"The    tuner.al    dccurrcd    at    his   home    near  I'f  any  other  citizen  among  us.     In  his  husiness 

the   southern   limits  ol    the    city    on     Monday  relations   covering   these    many    vears    he    was 

afternoon  at  two  o'clock,  when,  notwithstand-  found    to   he   houor.ahle  and    upright    with    his 

ing  the  intense  cold  at  the  lime,  a  large  mnn-  fellow  men.  and   it   might  he  s.aid  that  he  has 

ber  of   friends  gathered   to   pay   their   last   re-  aided  more  men  in  a  financial  way  than  almost 

spects  to  the  one  who  they  had  known  so  well  any  citizen  in  the  community.     He  had  a  large 

in   life,   and    momaied   so   sincerely    in    death,  and  sympathetic  heart,  and  no  friend  ever  went 

The  services  were  brief,  and   were  conducted  t"  him  in  trouble  and  was  turned  away.     Many 

by  Revs.  Calhoun  .ind  Wyatt,  after  which  the  who  have  been  aided  l)y  liim  in  the  past  will 

rcmams  were  ])laced  in  charge  of  tiie  Odd  Fel-  remember    his    kindlv    acts    through    life    and 

lows,  who  conducted  the  services  according  to  bless  him  for  it.     .Ml  feel  that  an  honored  and 

Iheir  rites.  respected  citizen  has  been  called.  ;md  that  his 

"The   deceased    was   born    ne.ar    .\nder,son.  place  will  be  hard  to  till. 
Indiana,   December    t,i.    iSj;(;,  and   w;is  con.se-  "Jt  is  more  th;m  probable  that  the  .leccased 

(|ueutly  tifty-seven  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  w.as  awai'c  that   he  w.  mid   be  l.akcn   suddenly, 

liis  death.      lie  lea\cs  a  wife  and  four  children  as  be  had  li.ad  previous  warning  of  his  trouble, 

to  mourn  his  loss,  besides  one  brother  and  one  Fast   summer  he  was  stricken   while  at   home, 

sister.      The  sister,    Mrs.    Catherine   Jones,   of  ;md  a    few  ye.irs  (irevious  he  suffered  a  liglu 

Alexandria,   Indian.a,  was  in  .attendance  at  the  attack." — (Copied.) 
tuneral.      The  brother,    Dan.   is   a   resident    of 

( )maha,  and  it  was  impossible  to  reach  him  b\' 

lelegra[)h,  as  he  was  alisent  from  home.      .Mr. 

C  astle,  a  brother-in-law,  from  Ale.vandria,  was  ,  -.-yir.-^  <•    -r()|)|) 

als(^  present,   and   on    Monday    ^Mr.    and    .Mrs. 

John  Renner,  parents  of  Mrs.  McNeer,  arrived  J.anies   (i.    Todd    w.as   born    in    .\'ew    \i>vk 

I loni  Kansas.      .\lso  Mrs.  (ofTey,  of  Newm.an.  City,  July    if).    1X40:  remo\c<l  to   lllin.pis  with 

1  he  luneral  was  a  sad  one,  .and  universal  .sym  bis   parents,    David   ;md    .M.iriah   Todd,   in   the 

pathy  is  expressed   for  the  liereaved   wife  and  year  1855,  settling  in  I'ldgar  county.     In  18O4 


2  20 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


he  moved  with  his  parents  to  Champaign  also  a  memher  of  the  M.  E.  cliurcli  and  teaclier 
county,  liut  two  years  afterward  his  fatlier  pur-  in  the  Sunday  school.  Mr.  Todd  is  kind  and 
chased  a  farm  in  Douglas  county,  six  miles  generous  at  all  times  and  is  one  of  the  men  that 
niirihcast  of  Newman,  and  he  remained  on  the      it  is  safe  to  "tie   to."      He  numhers  his  friends 

in  this  city  by  the  score. 

Very  recently  he  has  mcmrned  the  death  ot 

his  most  estimable  wife. 


CHARLES  M.  CULl^EI^LTSON. 

The  biographies  of  Newman  township  would 
be  incomplete  without  an  extended  notice  of 
Mr.  Culbertson,  w'ho  has  done  more  than  any 
other  one  man  toward  developing  the  eastern 
part  of  the  county  and  the  improvement  and 
beautifying  of  the  town  of  Newman.  Thefam- 
ily  from  which  he  is  descended  is  of  Scotch 


farm  with  his  parents  until  January  29,  1873. 
He  was  there  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jen- 
nie CooUey,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J  A. 
Coolley,  of  the  Ridge.  Three  children  were 
born  to  this  union.  Minnie,  Lena  C.  and  Allje;t 
D.  Mrs.  Todd  died  February  26,  1891.  Mr. 
Todd  was  afterward  united  in  marriage  tc 
Mrs.  Jennie  McClure  and  occupies  a  neat  and 
comfortable  home  in  this  city.  Mr.  Todd  is  a 
Republican,  as  was  his  father,  and  has  been 
;i  ])r(iminent  factor  in  the  success  of  the  party 
in  Newman  township  the  i)ast  few  years,  hll- 
ing  offices  of  trust  and  honor.  He  is  now 
.serving  as  township  clerk  and  so  well  does  he 
attend  to  the  business  affairs  of  the  township 
that  no  one  has  reason  for  complaint.  So- 
cially he  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  R.  lodge  and 
takes  quite  an  active  part  in  the  work.     He  is     and  settled  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania 


origin.      One   of   his   great-granil fathers   emi- 
grated from  thenorth  of  Ireland  in  an  early  day. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


22  I 


AiKitlier  great-tjranil  father.  \\'illiani  McClay, 
who  was  horn  in  rennsylvani.  and  who,  with 
K(il)ert  ^h)rris,  were  the  first  Tnitcd  States 
senators  from  Pennsylvania.  The  descend- 
ants of  tlie  Culhertsons  hecame  (|nite  ninnerous 
in  Lancaster  connty,  and  tlie  settlement  was 
known  as  Cnlhertson's  row.  Here  his  father, 
Charles  M.  Culhert.son,  was  horn,  and  after  his 
marriage  of  Elizaheth  McPamma  emigrated  in 
iSiS  to  Indiana,  and  settled  in  Jefferson  coun- 
ty. In  this  county  Charles  M.  Culhcrtson  was 
horn  August  5,  1819,  and  recei\'ed  only  the 
meagre  school  advantages  common  in  that  day, 
consequent!}'  he  had  to  rely  on  his  own  industry 
and  perceiitions  for  the  elements  of  knowledge 
vhieh  he  acquired.  At  fourteen  years  of  age 
he  left  home  and  went  to  Xewjiort,  Indiana, 
where  he  commenced  clerking  in  a  store,  which 
position  he  held  for  ahout  eight  years.  .\t 
first  he  recei\'ed  a  salary  of  eighty  dollars  a 
year,  out  of  which  he  clothed  himself.  His 
salary  for  the  year  1841  was  two  hundred  dol- 
lars. He  soon  exhihited  husiness  (|ualitications 
of  a  high  order  and  it  was  not  long  until  he  en- 
tered into  a  partnership  with  Daniel  .\.  Jones, 
who  carried  on  a  general  merchandising  and 
pork  i)acking  husiness  at  Newport,  which  last- 
ed u])  until  iS'13.  I'l)  to  1854  the  husiness  was 
carried  on  .at  the  latter  ]>lace  and  .after  tli.at 
date  in  Chicago  (.Mr.  Culhcrtson  removed  to 
Cliicagf)  in  1857).  In  1S43  he  was  m.arried 
to  Miss  Khoda  W'illi.ams.  of  Xewixirt,  whose 
p.arents  were  from  PennsyKani.-i.  In  iS3_>  he 
entered  a  section  of  Land  in  Xewnian  iMwnship 
;md  kept  on  increasing  it  until  at  one  time  he 
owned  two  thousand,  three  Iiun<lreil  and  forty 
acres,  and  his  f.arms.  which  he  recentiv  dixiiled 
among  his  heirs,  .are  the  finest  and  hi'st  im- 
pro\-ed  in  the  county.     The  honu-  f.irm  of  fixe 


hundred  .and  sixty  .acres,  th.at  he  ga\e  his 
grand.son,  E.  C.  Remiek,  is  situated  four  miles 
north  of  Newman  and  is  dcci<le(llv  the  most 
heautiful  and  attractive  country  home  in  this 
vicinity.  Mr.  Culhcrtson  has  erected  ;i  heauti- 
lul  hrick  Inisiness  hlock  .and  it  w;is  priuciii.allv- 
due  to  his  efforts  that  the  town  of  Newman  h.as 
o\er  six  nu'les  of  fine  concrete  sidew.alks.  1  le 
is  still  hale  and  hearty,  active  ;uid  straight.  ;md 
would  e.asil}-  he  t.aken  for  ;i  m.an  not  mure  th.an 
p.ast  si.xty. 


DANIEL  .\.  C()N0V]':R. 

I).  .\.  Cono\er,  ex-circuit  clerk  and  record- 
er, w.as  horn  in  .\d,ams  county,  PennsvK  .ani.a, 
on  one  of  the  farms  where  the  hatlle  of  (ietl\'s- 


i 

1 

^gL 

L^jfel^ 

^n 

wpw/ 

"^ 

%  ^. 

hnrg  w.as  afterward  fought,      .\hiiut    18400111- 
suhjecl  with  his  ]>.arents  mo\ed  to  ()\\en  cnun- 
t}'.   Indi.an.a:  he  w.as  gi\en  a  thorough  sclinol 
ing  .at  the  I  lli  h  iiniugtMn.   Indi;m.a.  st.ate  uni\ci'- 


222 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


sity  and  at  twenty  years  of  age  lie  engaged 
witli  his  linitlier  in  tlie  drug  business  at  Bow- 
ling (irccn.  Clay  county.  Indiana.  After  a 
year  he  bought  bis  brother's  interest  and  o-,vncd 
the  store  until  1864.  In  iSfjj  be  organized 
Company  D.  Seventy-First  Indiana  A^ilunteer 
Infantry.  At  the  l)attle  of  Richmond.  Kentucky, 
he  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner,  but  at 
night  with  some  others  escaped.  The  Seventy- 
first  sustained  such  loss  that  the  reorganiza- 
tion was  abandoned.  The  remaining  members 
returned  to  Terre  Haute  and  there  organized 
the  Sixth  Indiana  Cavalry  antl  Mr.  Conover 
was  commissioned  major.  Owing  to  disabilities 
sustained  at  Richmond  be  was  mustered  out  at 
Knoxville,  Tennessee,  and  on  returning  home 
lie  was  appointed  provost  marshal  of  the  sev- 
enth Indiana  district  with  beadf|uarters  at  Ter- 
re Haute:  he  was  appointed  inspector  of  inter- 
publican  ticket  for  mayor  of  Terre  Haute.  In 
1869  he  came  to  Tuscola  where  he  afterward 
resided.  He  traveled  for  eleven  years  in  the  in- 
terests of  a  Cincinnati  hat  house  luitil  1880, 
when  be  was  elected  to  an  office  on  the  Re- 
publican ticket.  On  January  24,  1854,  be  mar- 
ried Miss  Bradshaw  N.  Elkin,  of  Bowding 
Green,  Indiana.  Major  Conover  belonged  to 
the  Masonic  lodge  from  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years ;  was  a  Knight  Templar  of  Melita 
Commandery  and  was  circuit  clerk  and  record- 
er. Mr.  Conover  was  respected  in  Tuscola  up 
until  his  death. 


the  very  front  rank  of  successful  professional 
men  of  Douglas  county.  He  is  a  native  of  Illi- 
nois and  the  son  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  H.  Ruther- 
ford, of  Oakland,  Illinois,  being  liorn  in  the 
present  family  residence  in  Oakland,  August 
14.  1850.  After  the  completion  of  a  common 
school  education  be  tauglit  school  in  and  near 
Oakland  for  three  years,  during  which  time 
be  was  engaged  in  the  study  of  medicine. 
After  this  he  attended  lectures  and  graduated 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  at  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania,  the  I2tli  of  March, 
1877.  He  returned  to  Oakland  and  began  the 
practice  of  medicine,  which  he  continued  until 


DR.  C.  RUTHERFORD,  M.  D. 

Natural   ability,   thurdngh   study  and  long 
experience  have  i>laccd   Ur.  C.  Rutherford  in 


he  came  to  Newman,  September  2",  1877,  and 
has  ever  since  been  actively  engaged  in  his 
chosen  profession,  building  up  as  he  has  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice. 

Dr.  Rutherford  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Mary  E.  Mclntyre  on  the  2jnd  of  Sep- 
tember, 1885,  and  together  with  his  family  oc- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


cupies  a  very  neat  residence  in  tlic  snuth  part 
of  tlie  city.  Tn  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rutiierford  liavc 
been  born  two  cliildren,  Eugenie,  laorn  June 
29,  1892.  and  Florence,  liorn  July  8,  1894.  He 
lias  served  on  the  scliool  board  twelve  years 
and  was  elected  the  first  president  under  the  new 
organization  of  se\en  members,  having  been  re- 
elected each  year  since,  which  is  conclusive  c\i- 
dence  that  he  ser\'cs  the  people  hiiniir;ibl\-  in 
that  capacity. 

When  the  people  of  Newman  desired  to 
convert  Newman  into  a  city,  be  was  chosen  as 
the  proper  man  fur  the  mayoralty  and  was 
elected.  lie  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic and  K.  of  1'.  lodges  of  this  city.  His 
medical  skill  has  been  tlic  me;ms  of  him  being 
selected  as  a  member  of  tlie  board  of  pension 
examiners  and  also  elected  county  coroner  for 
four  years,  ;dthougb  bis  extensive  practice  kept 
liim  for  serving  as  coroner.  Dr.  Rutherford 
has  always  been  a  great  i)ronioter  of  Newman's 
interests  and  in  1890  in  partnership  wi'.h  R. 
Thomas  was  the  designer  of  the  bcauliful  New- 
man cemetery.  A  city  full  and  running  over 
with  such  men  as  Dr.  Rutberf(M-d  could  not 
lielp  but  advance.  "God  made  the  country  and 
man  makes  the  town"  as  the  old  saving  goes; 
and  it  is  a  true  one.  Every  town  is  just  what  its 
inhabitants  m;ike  it,  is  dead  or  alive  according 
to  the  comiKisition  of  its  men.  Of  course  all 
cm  not  be  leaders;  some  ha\e  not  the  talent, 
others  have  not  the  time,  lint  when  the  leader 
arises,  then  the  duty  of  the  ordinary  citizen  is 
to  foll(;iw  in  the  wake  of  bis  :idv;mcing  foot- 
stei)s.  Dr.  l\utlierford  possesses  honest  (|u;di- 
licnlions  and  so  x.aried  ;n-e  bis  gifts  that  m.any 
men  n;ifur;dly  seek  his  companionshi])  for  con- 
sultation.     .X'oble  models  make  noble  minds. 


\\\  \V.  T'EPPER. 

\V.  W.  re]i])er,  a  iiopul.ar  lawyer  and  a  suc- 
cessful young  business  man,  was  born  on  a 
farm  seven  miles  south  of  Newman  May  24, 
1866,  and  is  the  eklest  of  seven  children  born  to 
Dudley  EI.  and  Nancy  Liston  Pep]ier.  His  fa- 
ther was  a  native  of  Kentucky  .and  resides  ;it 
(  ).akl,'md.     Mr.  l^epper  recei\ed  his  early  edu- 


cation in  the  public  scIkioIs  of  ();iklanil  ;ind 
afterward  look  ;i  three-years"  com'se  in  the 
l^ni\-ersity  of  Illinois  in  C'liam])aign.  .\fter 
leaving  the  unixersity  he  took  a  two-years'  law 
course  at  the  .Vortliwestern  I'niversity  ;it 
Evanston   and    was   gi-acluated    with    lionor   in 

1893,  shortly  ;iflerw;ii-d  being  ;idmilted  to  the 
bar. 

On   June    j8,    i8i;o.    Mr.    I'epi)er    married 
Miss  Nora   lliuds.  of   llindsboro.      In   .M.arch, 

1894,  Mr.  l'e])]ier  located  in  .\ewni;ni  ,'inil  com- 
menced lln'  pr.ai'tici'  of  l.iw  .  I  le  becime  al  once 
deser\ed]y    popiiLir    .and    in     May,    181):^,  was 


224 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


cliDScn  city  attorney,  which  office  he  filled  with 
due  honor  until  the  expiration  of  his  time.*  He 
was  re-elected  to  the  same  office,  hut  resigned 
to  look  after  his  other  husiness.  It  can  he  truly 
said  of  him  that  he  is  a  man  peculiarly  after 
his  own  style.  He  has  no  model  and  seeks 
after  none,  save  that  which  is  the  creation  of 
liis  own  mind.  Starting  out  in  life  as  he  did, 
without  means,  perseverance  and  energy  consti- 
tuted his  only  cajjital.  He  entered  his  profes- 
sion with  a  determination  to  fully  accpiaint 
Inmself  with  the  law  and  the  rules  of  practice. 
This  he  has  done.  He  has  huill  up  and  now  en- 
joys an  extensive  practice  in  all  the  courts  of 
Douglas  county.  His  splendid  success  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  he  is  a  ceaseless  worker  and 
when  once  employed  he  pursues  his  rase  until 
he  has  thoroughly  mastered  it  in  :dl  its  de- 
tails. 


OLIVER  O.  HOCKETT. 

Oliver  O.  Hockctt,  one  of  the  3'ounger 
memhers  of  the  medical  fraternity  of  Douglas 
count V,  and  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the 
social,  professional  and  educational  life  of  New- 
man, was  horn  in  Paris,  Edgar  county,  Illinois, 
March  2,  1866.  He  was  graduated  from  the 
high  school  of  Paris  in  1882  and  suhscquently 
entered  tlic  state  university  at  Champaign, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years.  He  then 
took  up  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  M.  P. 
Smith,  with  whom  he  remained  untd  he  en- 
tered Chicago  Hahnemann  College,  from  which 
well  known  institution  he  was  graduated  in 
the  class  of  i,S8q,  and  the  following  year  he 
spent  in  the  liahnemann  hospital.     In  March, 


1890,  he  came  to  Newman  and  opened  out  in 
the  general  practice  of  medicine,  and  has  suc- 
ceeded far  hey(ind  his  expectations.  He  is 
skilled  and  successful,  and  although  having 
heen  in  Newman  Ijut  a  few  years,  he  enjoys  one 
of  the  most  extensive  and  lucrative  practices  in 
the  county.  He  is  a  memher  of  the  Hahne- 
mann Medical  Society,  contrihutes  to  the  medi- 
cal joiu'nals  and  keeps  himself  thor(iughly  in 
touch  with  the  advancements  heing  made  in 
his  profession.  .-Vs  a  diagnostician  in  his  pro- 
fession, as  well  as  in  his  judgment  of  human 
nature,  he  would  pass  muster  'in  any  com- 
munity. 

Dr.  Hockett  is  a  son  of  Mahlon  and  Marv 


(Kimhle)  Hockett,  natives  of  Vermilion  and 
Edgar  counties  respectively.  His  father  was 
a  well-to-do  carriage  manufacturer,  who  has  re- 
cently retired.  During  the  war  of  the  Rehel- 
lion  he  was  first  lieutenant  of  the  First  Missouri 
X'olnnteers.  Ilis  grandfather  Kimhle  walked 
from  (~)hio  to  Edgar  county,  and  died  in  1877 
\uirth  ninety  thousand  dollars.     In    1895  our 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


225 


^.iihject  married  Miss  Luella  Gillespie,  and  has  in"-  to  Tiisccila  he  was  engaged  in  the  same  line 

hy  this  marriage  une  child,  named  J.  Maxwell,  at    Artlmr. 

Dr.  li.K-kett  has  a.snite  oi  rooms  in  the  Swag-  Mr.  rin]li])s  was  horn  in  Clay  comity.  Tcn- 

gert    huilding.   which    is    his    office,  elegantly  nessee.   .Xpril    iS.    1861,   his  parents   remo\ing 

lilted  np.  and   where  he  takes  care  of  a  large  when  he  was  (piite  young  to  1  1,-iwkins  counlv. 


and  growing  practice,  huilt  u|)  hy  close  appli- 
cation to  his  work.  Wdiile  in  medical  college 
special  honors  were  conterre<l  n|>on  him.  and  on 
his  entering  the  great  school  of  acti\e  life  his 
thorough  education  and  medical  training  did 
him  great  service  in  heginning  his  |)raclice. 
He  is  thoroughly  e(|uip])ed  wilh  the  hnest  out- 
hts  for  use  in  his  specialties  that  can  he  had. 
.Socially  he  helongs  to  the  Knights  of  I'vthias. 
and  in  1881  was  ;i  memher  of  C'om|)aiiy  II. 
I'jghth  I'icgiment.  Illinois  Stale  .Militia,  retir- 
ing in   1887. 


some  liftydixe  miles  cast  of  Knoxville,  in  the 
same  state,      lie  is  a  son  of  William    I'lnllips. 


W.    IMIILLIPS. 


( )f  the  many  lea<ling  and  >nccessful  hnsiuv.s.-; 
men  of  Tuscola  who  h;i\e  fought  tlieir  way  suc- 
cessfully through  life  and  who  h;i\e  heen  the 
architect  ot  their  own  fortune  in  the  true  sense 
of  that  term  is  the  suhject  of  this  sketch.  lie 
is  a  dealer  in  ])onltry.  ]iroduce.  Iish.  etc..  and  is 
al.so  interested  in  the  ice  hnsiness.  1  le  founded 
his  ]>re.sent  hnsiness  in  Tuscola   in    iXc^fi.  c.  .11- 


who  was  a  uati\e  of  Hawkins  coniitv.  Tennes- 
.see.  William  married  .Miss  hanilv  l'hilli])s  (no 
relation,  though  hearing  the  same  name  ).  Th-,' 
lather  died  in  iS(<:,.  and  hi>  mother  in  |X()S. 
aged  se\enty-seven  years.  In  I'ehruarv,  18S1, 
Mr.    Phillips  wed. led    .Miss   .Veljie   M.   I-'itch.  of 


Coles  county,    llhuois.      Tliey   h;i\e    four   cliil- 
structing  a  Iniilding  8oxJO  feel,  and  one  and      '''"^'"-     "^  ^■"•''   I  >"";i.   I'"-   W.  and    Herald.      .Mr. 

one-half  stories  high.     This  hmlding  hnrned  in       '''""'1'^    i^    ••'    niemher    of    the    W Imen    .and 

.\ugust    ,.f    the    i"ollowing    year,  and    he    im-      ''^'■■'l'"^-"- 

mediately  erected  on  the  same  site  a  more  cor,)- 

modious  one,  uox^o  feet.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  .Mr.  I'lnllips'  ])ouhry  hnsiness  is  one  of 
the  very  largest  in  the  state  outside  of  Chicago. 
He  has  ahout  twenty  live  men  traveling  and 
huymg  poultry  ;md  produce  throughout  the 
year.      I'dr  hfieen  years  prexious  to  his  coni- 


M Ai.nrx-  mxr.s. 


15 


in  touching  upon  the  historv  of  Douglas 
coiiiuy  lor  the  ]iast  sixty  years,  none  ha\e  heen 
more   prominently   connected    with    its   urowlh 


226 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


and  industrial  exi^ansion  tlian  the  Hon.  Maiden 
Jones.  He  endured  all  the  hardsh'i:s  inc'dent 
to  the  rough  ])ioneer  lite  and  has  pa.ssed 
through  a  most  honorable  and  enviable  eareer. 
He  is  a  native  of  Lee  county,  Virginia,  and  was 
born  February  8,  1818.  When  a  child  he  went 
with  his  i)arents  to  Kentucky,  where  he  was 
reared  and  where,  at  about  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, lie  entered  a  store  as  clerk  and  remained 


three  years.  In  1840  he  came  west,  making  the 
trip  on  horseback,  settled  with  his  brother,  Al- 
fred, live  miles  southwest  of  Areola,  and  there 
engaged  in  farming  and  the  live  stock  business. 
In.  1848  he  remo\-ed  to  his  present  locality  and, 
in  company  with  Mr.  (iruelle,  opened  a  general 
store  about  h;df  a  mile  north  of  Bourl)on.  his 
store  being  the  only  one  west  oi  Ciiarleston. 
He  was  engaged  extensively  in  buying  and 
selling  cattle  and  horses,  and  droxe  them  from 
his  home  to  Wisconsin,  which  ;U  that  time  was 
the  only  market  worlhv  of  the  name  in  the 
west.     I'hey  continueil  ;it  this  ])oint  about  one 


year.  Mr.  Jones  then  built  a  sti^re  in  Bourbon 
and  laid  out  the  town.  He  continued  merchan- 
dising here  about  six  years.  In  1858  he  was 
elected  sheriff  of  the  county  of  Coles,  and  re- 
moved to  Charleston.  There  he  resided  for 
three  years,  returning  to  Bourbon  in  1861.  He 
was  elected  ti_>  the  Legislature  in  i8r)4  and  re- 
elected in  1866,  and  was  the  first  member 
electetl  from  the  new  county  of  Douglas.  In 
1876  he  was  elected  state  senator  antl  served 
four  years.  He  was  also  a  candidate  for  the 
senate  in  1880,  but  was  defeated  by  a  few  \otes. 
On  coming  to  Coles,  now  Douglas  county, 
he  had  but  forty  dollars  and  a  pony.  He  now 
owns  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land  and  the 
finest  residence  in  the  township,  which  cost 
over  six  thousand  dollars.  He  was  married 
in  1880  to  Mary,  daughter  of  Isaac  Gruelle. 
who  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  this 
county.  Eleven  children  have  blessed  this 
union,  nine  now  lixing.  four  sons  and  five 
daughters.  His  wife  died  June  23,  1895,  in 
her  sixty-first  year,  .\mongst  Mr.  Jones'  neigh- 
bors, when  he  first  settled  in  the  vicinit}'  of 
Bourbon,  might  lie  mentioned  the  .Mibots,  Sto- 
\'als,  Ellises  and  the  Chandlers.  Mr.  Jones 
and  Lemuel  Chandler,  in  the  i860  tlays  of  old. 
were  the  leading  stump  speakers  and  authorities 
of  the  day.  and  being  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
important  political  questions,  made  the  old 
brick  school  house  in  Bourbon  fairly  ring  with 
the  eloquent  pros  and  cons  of  political  debate. 
the  condiments  of  which  were  not  a  little  per- 
sonal feeling,  which,  to  the  knowing  ones,  lent 
an  adtled  zest  to  their  enjoyment;  but,  hajjpy 
to  say,  old  time  fixed  them  with  his  glitter- 
ing eye  at  last  and  the  foolishness  of  political 
animosity  gracefully  gax'c  way  to  the  sober 
l)liilosophy  of  increasing  years.      In   a   public 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


227 


career  of  aljout  forty-five  years,  Mr.  Jones, 
while  <iccu])\ing'  positions  of  trust  ami  respon- 
sibility, such  as  sheriff,  representati\e  and  state 
senator,  has  retained  his  integrity  and,  conse- 
(pientlv,  the  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens.  His 
character  has  never  been  assailed  and  he  stands 
before  the  world  to-day  i-ctaining-  the  reputa- 
tion of  an  honest  and  inlluential  man.  Air. 
bmcs  is  universally  res])ectcd.  Tie  has  seen 
in;in\-  changes  in  the  count}'  and  at  the  sunset 
of  life  still  t.akes  an  ;icli\e  ;uicl  inlluential  part 
in  the  political,  social  .and  industrial  lite  of  the 
day. 


ALLAN   C.\Mrr,ELL. 

.Mian  Canipl)ell.  son  of  John  Campiicll,  died 
October   13.   1X75.      Without  ;i  sketch  ;uid  por- 


<::■ 

trait  of  .Mian   Campbell   this  book   would   be 
yery  incomi)lete,  as  the  Camjibell    t'amily  was 


among  the  earliest  :m<l  most  ])romincnt  i)ioneers 
in  Bourljon  township.  .Mian  c;imc  belore  his 
lather,  and  soon  after  his  arrival  bought  li\c 
acres  of  land  just  south  of  Lcster\-ille,  at  the 
I'lag'dad  bridge,  and  ran  ;i  ferry  here  t'or  three 
years.  .Mian  (/;nnpl)cll  was  liorn  in  Knox  coun- 
ty. Kentucky,  in  iSoc;.  I  lis  grand fjither,  .Mian 
Campbell,  was  born  in  \'irgiui;i.  and  w;is  ;imong 
the  earh"  settlers  in  Kentui'ky.  Mis  lather, 
|ohn  Campbell,  remoxed  to  llourbon  township 
soon  after  bis  brother.  His  mother  w;is  l,u- 
cinda  Sulliv'an,  also  a  native  of  Kentucky. 

Allan  Cami)bell  lirst  married  JMiss  Mary 
.\nn  Hoots,  who  w;is  ,'i  daughter  of  David 
Hoots,  of  a  ( ierman  faniil\-.  C)f  this  m.arriage 
there  are  three  children  lixiug,  all  resiiling  in 
l')ourbon     township:      llir;nn,    John     II.    and 

,  the  wife  of  William  W  arnisley.      1 1  is 

first  wife  ilicd.  ;ui(l  onl'ebru.arx-  !_:;.  1S31,  he 
wedded  .Miss  .M;u'y  I'deniing,  wlio  still  survives 
him.  She  w;is  born  in  Parke  county.  Indi.ana, 
;inil  was  ;i  d;mghter  of  .Stephen  atid  Jane 
(  Kerr  I  bdeming.  ller  father  was  born  in 
b'leming  countw  Kentucky,  ;ind  licr  mother  in 
Pennsvbania.  ller  gi-:uid  lather,  Stephen 
I'leming,  w;is  ;i  n,'iti\e  of  .Scotl;nid.  and  her 
grandfather,  Thonias  Kerr,  was  .1  native  iJ 
Ireland.  To  .Ml.an  C.ampbell  ami  .Mary  i'dem- 
ing"  Cami)bell  were  born  three  sons  and  one 
d;mghter,  now  living:  Joseph  A.,  j.-nnes  11., 
.\nnette,  who  is  the  wife  of  Albert  Pliers,  ip' 
Carrett  township.  ,and  Stephen  .S.  .\t  the 
time  of  Mr.  .Mian's  de;ith  he  owned  .about 
tbirtv-t"i\e  hundreil  .acres  of  Land.  .\t  th.at  time 
it  w.as  divided  up  between  llu'  widow  ,and  the 
chililren  Mrs.  C,ami)bell  receivuig  nine  hundred 
•and  twenty  acres,  .all  in  ISourbou  townshi]). 
which  she  still  owns.     .She  resides  on  the  old 


228 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Campbell  homestead,. two  miles  south  of  Lester- 
ville.  She  is  in  lier  seventy- f(jiirth  year,  ami  is 
a  .levont  niemher  of  the.  IVeshyterain  church. 


T.  W.  SWIC.ART. 


T.  \\'.  S\vi.i;art,  the  leading  harness  dealer 
and  one  of  the  most  successful  business  men  in 
Newman  and  Douglas  county,  was  born  in  Car- 
roll county.  Maryland,  in  sight  of  Westminis- 
ter, Inly  3.  1831,  and  was  a  son  of  Joseph  Swi- 
gart.  When  nine  years  of  age  T.  W.  Swigart 
remove.l  with  his  parents  to  Seneca  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  spent  a  large  portion  of  his  life 
on  a  farm.  From  the  years  184S  to  1S51  he 
devoted  his  time  to  learning  the  trade  of  har- 


Indiana.  where  he  resided  and  worked  at  his 
trade  successfully  up  to  the  year  1870,  when  he 
went  to  Princeton,  Illinois.  There  he  met  Miss 
Sarah  Jane  Martin,  who,  in  1871,  became  his 
wife.     In  the  same  year  he  came  to  Danville. 
Illinois,  where  he  followed  his  trade  until  the 
month  of  February,    1873,  when  he  came  to 
Newman  and  succeeded    Speelman  &  Ogdeu 
in  the  harness  business.     During  his  residence 
in  Newman  he  has  become  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful business  men  in  the  city  and  has  accum- 
ulated quite  a  lot  of  property.     In  politics  he 
is  thoroughly  independent  and   there  is   very 
little  of  hypocrisy  in  his  nature.     He  is  tlior- 
oughlv  candid  and  outspoken  in  his  convictii>ns. 
He  has  served  three  terms  as  president  of  the 
town  board.     He  has  also  been  a  member  (if 
the  board  of  health  and  director  .>f  the  P.uilding 
&  Loan  .\ssociation.    He  is  a  Mason  and  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Honor.     In  his  business 
relations  with  the  i)ulilic  he  is  unimpeachalMe 
and  supplies  the  people  for  miles  around  wUh 
the  most   improved   style  of  harness.      He  is 
a  clever  gentleman  ;ind  res])ecte(l  by  most  every 
bo(h-. 


FDWARD  W.  CALVIN. 

Fdward  W.  Calvin,  the  leading  druggist 
and  owner  of  both  livery  stables  of  Newman, 
was  born  in  Wayne  county.  Illinois.  December 
J  I.  i860.  He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Calvin, 
nessmaker  at  Bellfontame.  Ohio.  He  was  a  who  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1829.  and  he 
vouno-  man  of  good  habits  and  of  splendid  me-  the  son  of  Hiram  Calvm,  who  was  a  native 
dianical  turn  of  mu.d  ;  he  learned  the  trade  of  Virginia.  His  father  was  a  graduate  of 
„u,ro,ighlv  and  soon  became  a  r.rst-class  work-  Rush  Medical  Cllege.  He  married  Sarah 
nnn     'in 'the  vear  ,8..  he  removed  to  Attica.      Brown,    of    New    But^-alo„    Michigan,    whose 


BIOGRArillCAL  AXi)    lllSrOKICAL. 


229 


(Icatli  ficcurrcd  sdinc  luenty  years  ai;-o.  He 
lias  practiced  at  varinus  places,  was  at  Newman 
one  year  and  is  at  present  in  active  and  success- 
ful practice  at  Toledo,  Ohio. 


E.  W.  Cahin  has  for  several  years  exten- 
si\elv  engaged  in  l)n\ing  and  selling  horses 
and  has  been  remarkal)ly  successful  in  all  busi- 
ness enterprises  in  which  he  has  been  interested. 
In  June,  1897,  he  opened  out  in  the  drug  busi- 
ness and  keeps  on  hands  one  of  the  most  coni- 
])lcte  assortments  of  drugs  lound  in  a  lirst-class 
drug  store. 

In  iSS()  be  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
iMunia  Smith,  of  X'ernuliou  county.  They  ha\  e 
one  child,  ( )l<;il  McCrea.  Mrs.  Cabin  is  a 
daughter  of  Michael  Smith,  who  was  born  in 
X'ermilion  coiuitv,  Illinois.  Iler  mother  was 
Mary  .Ann  Snai)p.  She  was  a  danghler  of 
Ceorge  Snajjp.  a  nati\e  of  Richmond,  \  irgini;i. 
lie  was  ;i  carriagemaker  bv  trade  and  after 
working  soiue  time  ;it  bis  trade  in  Richmond 
he  remo\ed  to  (i^orgetown.  X'ermiliou  county. 
He  was   in   the   war   of    i8i_'.      Mrs.Cah'in's 


gr.andfatber.  Joseph  .Sunth.  was  a  nati\e  of 
.Xaslu'ille.  Tennessee,  anil  later  reiuoxed  to 
X'ermilion  count}',  where  he  resided  until  bis 
death.  In  about  1890  Mrs.  Calvin  started  her 
]>resent  millinery  store  in  Xewnian  and  carries 
a  stock  as  large  and  \aried  as  can  be  found 
in  luany  towns  of  from  ten  thou>aud  to  lifteen 
thousand  ])eople.  J'ldward  W.  Cabin  has  made 
a  success  of  every  l)usiuess  \enlnre  he  has  e\er 
undertaken.  He  takes  an  acti\e  interest  in  po- 
litical ;nid  social  affairs  and  is  ])nl)bc  spirited 
and  interests  himself  in  c\erytbing  that  helps 
Newman  and  Douglas  couiUx'. 


J.\C()1'.    K.    .MOORIC 

J.'icob  Rice  Moore,  who  recently  died 
was  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  geuei'ally 
res])ected  farmers  in  the  county.  His  illness 
hngered  and  lasted  for  two  loug  years  before 
death  relieved  him.  There  were  jirobablv  but 
few  people  in  the  neighborhood  of  Arcol.a  and 
its  surroundings  who  were  aware  that 
.Mr.  .Moore  at  Ibe  time  of  his  death  was  one  of 
the  oldest  residents  of  the  county.  lie  was 
bom  within  sight  of  the  ])l;ice  011  which  he 
dieil  and  the  same  section  of  rich  Illinois  soil 
which  claims  the  honor  of  his  bii'tb  witnessed 
bis  rise  to  manhood  and  his  gr;idnal  ;id\ance 
ment  to  coinp.aratn  t'  old  age.  I'dr  sixtv  two 
\eai's  he  li\ed  and  lhri\ed  on  the  s.ame  f.arin 
where  bis  birth  oci'nrred,  when  I  )ouglas  count v 
was  unheard  of  and  the  old  ]ir:iirie  st;ite  w;is  a 
wilderness  of  .a  few  scattering  bamlels.  ISe- 
fore  .\rcola  was  a  dot  on  the  map  he  was  liv- 
ing on   the   farm   where   he  died   and   he   wit- 


230 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


nessed  the  swamp  lainls  of  tlie  county  mature 
into  the  richest  and  one  of  tlie  most  fertile 
counties  on  the  continent.  He  was  one  of 
tliose  (|uiet.  iniassuniing  men  who  let  the  great 
world  tight  its  hattles  while  he  huilt  a  Iieauti- 
ful  home  for  his  wife  and  interesting  children, 
lie  was  careful  and  economical  and  what  he 
earned  he  sa\ed.  Through  this  method  of 
economy,  his  land  interests  bmadened  out  and 


he  became  one  of  the  successful  men  in  the 
business  affairs  of  the  community.  It  is  said 
of  Mr.  Moore  that  during  his  entire  life  he 
was  ne\er  absent  from  his  home  more  than  a 
])eriod  of  thirty  dax's  at  the  most. 

Jacob  R.  Moore  was  born  September  iS, 
1836,  and  died  June  2,  1S99,  aged  sixty-two 
years,  eight  months  and  fourteen  days.  He 
was  married  to  Mary  \\\  Bacon,  of  Bourbon, 
Deceiuber  31,  iSf)2.  To  them  were  born 
se\cn  children,  whose  uaiues  are  as  follows: 
Kich.ird,  (Jeorge  B..  Rice  J.,  Anna  M.,  Wade 
11.,  I''.ninia  1'..  .S.,  and  Leouore  Moore.  As  a 
neighbor,  Mr.  Mocn'e  was  always  ready  to  lend 


a  helping  hand  and  passed  through  the  trials 
incident  to  the  life  of  early  settlers  in  what  was 
then  the  far  west.  For  years  he  was  one  of  the 
vlirectors  of  the  First  National  Piank  of  Areola. 
He  helped  to  Iniild  Bethel  church,  and  lent 
\alual)le  aid  in  organizing  the  congregation 
(hiring  the  fall  of  1883,  although  not  an  active 
memljer :  he  and  his  wife  became  members 
October  4,  1884.  and  in  June.  1890.  he  was 
raised  to  the  dignity  of  elder.  Mr.  Moore  was 
a  man  of  strong,  positive  character  and 
unswerving  dignity,  and  in  his  death  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  had  so  long  resided  lost 
a  kind  neighbor  and  a  good  c;tizen.  and  tlie 
church  with  which  he  had  been  so  closelv 
identified,  one  of  its  strongest  sta_\-s  and  most 
helpful    members. 

Capt.  Rice  J.  Moore,  a  son.  \-olunteered 
in  the  Illinois  National  Guard,  March  31. 
1894;  saw  field  service  in  Chicago,  in  July. 
1894;  appointed  corporal  July  10,  1895; 
ai^pointed  quartermaster  sergeant  March  15, 
1897;  commissioned  second  lieutenant  Fourth 
Infantry,  Illinois  X'oluuteers,  May  jo,  1898; 
detached  from  Fourth  Regiment  July  2^,  1898, 
and  assigned  to  Engineer  Corps  of  the  Sev- 
enth Arnn-  Corps  in  1898.  He  resigned  his 
commission  in  the  arm\-  Xo\'eniber  9,  1898, 
and  returned  to  the   farm. 


GEORGE  W.  Pd^OCK. 

George  \V.  Brock,  one  of  the  reliable  and 
representative  farmers  of  Newman  township, 
residing  within  the  corporate  limits  of  the 
city  of  Newman,  was  born  twelve  miles  south- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


231 


west  of  Crawfordsville,  Indiana,  Sep,temhcr  wIki  was  a  most  estinial)lc  woman,  died  I'Y-h- 
8.1846.  His  fatlier,  Seth  Brock,  was  a  native  niary  \(>.  1899.  She  was  a  devoted  memher 
of  Warren  connty.  (Jhio.  lie  was  a  carpenter  ,,f  the  Christian  church  at  Xewman  and  her  loss 
liy   trade   and    f;inned   al.so,   ownin.*^-   farms   in      was  deeply  felt  in  church  circles. 

Mr.  lirock  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  laud  in  Xewman  township,  .-111(1  three 
acres  iu>ide  the  curpi  irate  linnt^  nf  Xewman. 
Me  is  line  of  the  useful  citizens  dI'  Xewnrin 
township,  carelul  .and  ]iriimpl  in  l!Usiii:sN,  ;i:id 
.at  his  litime  Cdurteims  and  hi  iN|iital>le. 


\\a\iie  and  Mi  int.L;i  miery  ciuintics;  lie  latei' 
reniiwed  to  iMason  ciinnt\',  llliui)is.  lie  w;is 
a  strong'  prii-sla\erv  m;ui.  and  a  memher  of 
the  Methodist  h'.pisci  "p.il  church;  w,-i>  hiiiii  in 
181.^  and  died  in.  1873,  He  wedded  .M.ary 
.\.  I'.ilmcr.  who  was  a  (l;in<;htei"  of  Jesse  I'.al- 
mer.  ;i  iiatixe  of  .Xnrtli  Cai"i)lin;i.  hut  whn  he- 
came  ime  of  the  early  settlers  of  Indiana. 
Llijali  liriick  (grandfather)  washnru  in  ()hiii. 
Georijc  \V.  Brnck  w;is  reared  1  m  a  l.irm 
and  educated  in  the  cuminon  sclinuls.  At  the 
a.q;e  ot  sixteen  years,  nii  accunnt  nf  a  se\ere 
spell  I  if  sickness,  lie  lust  the  use  nf  his  ri,L;lit 
side,  lie  married  ;it  Caui])  Butler.  .Miss  Ma- 
liniki  \';mhoi)k.  dan.^hter  of  Tlium.as  a;,d 
Matilda  (Mann)  X'.auhniik.  and  tlie  result  uf 
this  uninii   was  mie  child    lixiiiij.   Ada     l.uc\-, 


I'R.VXCIS  .\.  McC.\K  lA'. 

Francis  A.  McCarty  was  une  uf  the  must 
remarkahly  successful  husiness  men  whn  e\er 
resided  in  1  )i  luglas  county,  lie  was  hnru  in 
.Schuyler  cniint}-.   Xew    \'nrk.   .\pril   _>_:;.    i8_:;7. 


,'md  died  .'it  his  Imme  in   l-'ilsmi.  M;iv   1.1.   i8()(). 


a.^■ell   lifteen   years,   and     three   dead:      I'liillip      lie  was  a  sun  uf  juhii  ;mil  Laura  (  h't'ost )   Mc- 
L.,   Harry  C.  and   Ethel    Ellen.      Mrs.    Urock,      Cartv,  natives  of  Xew  luii-iand. 


!32 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Charles  AlcCarty,  brother  of  Joseph  Mc- 
Cartw  was  horn  at  Morristown.  Xew  Jersey, 
in  1776.  and  died  in  Montour,  Schuyler  coun- 
ty, Xew  York,  November  15,  1858,  in  his 
eighty-third  year.  J(.)seph  .McCarty  (grandfa- 
ther) was  the  father  of  John,  Charles,  William 
and  Da\'id,  was  born  January  y.  1778,  and  died 
luly  25,  1845.  His  wife,  Mary  Harnerd  Mc- 
Carty,  was  horn  .Vugust  15,  I774-  'i»''  '^^''^'' 
January  20,  1846.  John  McCarty  (father), 
son  of  Joseph,  was  born  May  1 5.  1805,  and  tlietl 
January  14,  1875.  Josejm  Frost  (grandfa- 
ther) was  born  June  4,  1797.  married  Sallie 
McCarty,  and  died  October  27.  1847.  He  was 
a  son  of  Jo,sepli  Frost,  a  soldier  of  the  Revdlu- 
tion,  wild  was  licrn  May  22.  1 754.  '»i'l  '••*;*' 
I\iay  j8,  1844,  at  Catherine,  Xew  York.  He 
married  Lucy  Couch,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Couch,  who  was  married  September  19,  1781, 
died  April  8,  1843,  '^n*^'  ^^'--^s  Ijuried  at  Cather- 
ine, New  York.  Ai)pended  herewith  is  a  cer- 
tificate from  the  Adjutant  Cenerahs  office  of 
the  state  of  Connecticut:  "Hartford,  Septeni- 
er  II,  1895.  T'''^  '^  ^"  i-'ertify  that  Joseph 
Frost  (grandfather  of  Francis  A.  McCart)) 
served  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and  the  fol- 
lowing is  his  service  according  to  the  records 
of  this  office;  Private  in  Colonel  Benjamin  Hin- 
man's  regiment.  Discharged  in  northern  de- 
partment September  1 1,  1775.  Private  in  Cap- 
lain  Flijah  Abie's  company,  Colonel  Philip 
P)urr.  Bradley's  regiment.  Enlisted  June  lO, 
1770.  Dicharged  Xo\ember  i(),  1777.  Pris- 
oner at  l-'ort  Washington."  He  was  a  resi- 
dent until  1803  of  Redding,  Fairfield  county, 
Connecticut,  when  with  his  family  he  removed 
to  Schuyler  county,  Xew  York,  where  he  re- 
sided  until   his  death.      He    and    two  of  his 


brothers  were  made  prisoners  when  Lord  Howe 
captured  Fort  Washington,  in  November,  1776. 
They  suffered  great  hardship  in  a  British  prison 
hulk  in  Xew  York  bay,  and  the  two  brothers 
died  while  prisoners.  Joseph  Frost  was  wound- 
ed in  battle  and  received  a  pension  up  until 
the  time  of  his  death. 

Francis  A.  McCarty  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated at  Catherine,  Xew  York,  and  also  at- 
tended Lima  (  Xew  York)  Seminary.  Febru- 
ary I  J,  1879,  he  married  Miss  Emma  Young. 
of  Binghamton,  Xew  \'ork.  who  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Caroline  B.  (Munder) 
\'oung.  They  were  both  natives  (if  Germany. 
Mrs.  McCarty  has  in  her  possession  a  medal 
gi\en  her  grandfather.  Jacob  Munder.  In'  the 
King  of  Wurtemberg  for  faithful  services 
in  the  field.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCarty  were 
born  fi\'e  children,  all  Ii\-ing:  John  William 
Fred,  Laura  Frost,  Carrie  Louise  and  b~ran- 
ces  E. 

In  i87(;  Mr.  McCarty  came  to  Doug- 
las ci.iunt}'  and  settled  in  .\rcola  township, 
where  he  bought  a  tract  of  land  where  he  re- 
sitled  on  the  farm  until  1894.  when  he  lo- 
cated in  Tuscola.  He  had  great  energy  and 
talent  for  organizing  and  conducting  business 
affairs,  and  l)y  his  great  natural  al)ilit\'  and 
indonntable  perseverance  attained  a  high  [jroni- 
inence  in  the  industrial  and  financial  aft'an-s  of 
Douglas  count}'.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
owned  two  thousand  acres  of  land  in  Douglas 
county,  fi\e  hundred  acres  in  Marion  county, 
Illinois,  and  eight  hundred  acres  in  Missouri. 
These  large  estates  are  looked  after  by  his 
widow,  Mrs.  McCarty,  who  jxjssesses  in  a  large 
degree  great  Inisiness  tact,  fine  intelligence,  and 
is  a  hiohh'  educatetl  ladv. 


BIOGRAPHICAT,  AND   HISTORICAL. 


233 


r.F.ORriF.  \MI1TE. 

( jcc >i",!l;c  W'liito.  iIk'  well  know  11  iinplciiK'iit 
dealer  and  atictioneer  of  Xewman.  was  burn 
near  (ilast^nw.  Ikirren  Cdnnty.  Keninck}". 
Ans;nst  18.  ICS4J.  and  is  a  sun  nf  M.  L.  an<l 
Mary  (Ililiy)  White.  .Middlet.m  White 
was  horn  in  P)ai'ren  c unity.  Kenlncky.  and 
mii\ed  ti)  luls.jar  connty.  Illinois,  where  he  was 
iiiarrie<!.  His  wile  was  also  frnni  near  ( ilasiL;i  iw  . 
Kentnck\.  They  are  huth  deail  and  hnned 
in  the  1  'aris  eenictery. 

(icori^e  White  eame  to  .Vewinan  and 
located  in  hnsiness  m  ahont    ,S;4.  snice  winch      jv^,,,.,,  .„„,  .,,,,,  n,,.  ,,,,„„,    \,,„.^.  ,,,  j,,^.   ,.^,_ 

l>uhlic.  lie  has  a  pleasant  home  in  .\e\vman 
and  is  classed  aniony  that  town's  best  luisiness 
men. 


to  Mi.ss  Delia  Clark,  who  is  a  nati\-e  of  Ken- 
tucky. Tliey  ha\e  two  children:  1  lein-y  \\'.. 
who  will  s;raduate  I'l'oni  the  C'liic'if^o  Home- 
opathic School  of  .Medicine  in  .March,  j<joi. 
and  l'"red.  who  is  in  business  with  bis  lather, 
(jeoryc  W  bite  has  here  held  the  ol'ticc  of  town- 
shi|)  su])er\'isor  an<l  while  he  resided  in  Edgar 
county  held  llie  same  office.  In  \H(>\  be  \'ol- 
unteered  in  I'ompau}-  1-",.  Twelfth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, and  ser\ed  thr(pU!.;b  the  entire  C'i\il 
war.  During-  the  month  of  I'ebruary  especially 
his  .scr\ices  are  in  great  demand  as  a  public  auc- 
tioneer,     lie   is  a   member   of   the    Kiutjlits  of 


ji/DCh:  j(  )ii.v  nuow.Nj. 

judge  John  I'.row  n  h.is  been  for  o\er  si\t\' 
years  identified  with  tlie  best  interests  of  Doug 
las  County.  He  was  horn  in  Ross  cotintw 
( >hio,  .Ma\'  7,  iX_>_',  on  a  farm,  where  he  re 
mained  until  ihe  age  of  se\enteeii.  This  farm 
was  localeil  on  r.iint  creek,  two  miles  from 
C'billicothe.  the  counl\'  seat  of  Ross  coiinlv. 
Our  subject  is  a  son  of  .Xinirod  lb-own.  who 
was  a  nali\e  ol  Augusta  eount\-.  X'irginia,  and 
tune  Ins  hnsiness  has  steadil\-  grown  until  be  \\i„,  served  in  the  war  of  iSij.  His  mother 
is  known  as  one  of  ijic  most  siu-cessfnl  and  was.  before  her  marriage,  h.b/abelh  lugel- 
c\leusi\e  implement  de.'ders  in  the  entire  bright,  and  was  born  in  Monroe  couul\-.  \'ir- 
counly.  He  also  hau<Iles  the  Mitchell  wagon  ginia.  When  our  subject  was  but  se\en  vears 
and  several  makes  of  buggies  and  carriages.  old  his  fathei"  died,  and  bis  mother,  with  three 
His  sales  run  from  .S_'5.(xjo  to  $_:i5.()()()  anun-  sons  ami  four  daughters,  emigr;ited  to  what  is 
''".^'-  now  Douglas  counl\-,  in  about    iS_^S,  and  set- 

In  iS_i4  Mr.  White  was  united  in  marriage     tied  in  what  is  lunv  Sargent  township.     The 


234 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Judge's  paternal  g^rand  father.  Wasliington 
Brown,  was  a  Virginian  by  1)irtli.  At  the  time 
liis  motlier  located  in  Sargent  township  she  was 
\ery  poor,  the  oldest  son.  Washington,  manag- 
ing the  business.  Land  at  that  time  sold  for 
from  four  to  six  dollars  an  acre,  but  monev 
was  very  scarce.  Tliis  was  in  September,  1838. ' 
the  date  of  his  mother's  settlement  in  Sargent 
township. 

Jntlge  Brown  married,  in  1844,  Sail}-  Ann 
Barnett,  wdio  was  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Mary  Barnett,  natives  of  Kentucky  and  early 


settlers  in  X'ermihon  countv.  Mrs.  ilrowii 
(liefl  in  1853,  lea\ing  one  child,  William  R. 
Brown,  who  is  a  farmer  residing  in  Jasper 
county,  ln<liana.  Judge  jjrown  subsec|nentlv 
married  Mary  Barnett.  a  double  cousin  to  his 
first  wife  and  a  daughter  of  John  M.  and  .\na 
Barnett,  of  X'ernn'lion  connt}-,  Mary  having 
been  born,  however,  in  Bowdre  township, 
'['heir  t'amily  consisted  of  six  children,  four  of 
whom  are  li\ing:  liright  resides  in  Bowdre 
township;  Charles  1"".,  in  Camargo  township; 


h"!l!a,  who  is  at  home;  and  Kate  is  the  wife  of 
W.  S.  Burgett. 

Mr.  Brown  was  elected  county  judge  dur- 
ing the  war  of  the  Rel)ellion  and  scr\ed  in  that 
office  for  four  years.  He  is  a  stanch  Republic- 
an, and  the  owner  of  about  nine  hundred  acres 
of  fine  land.  He  is  the  oldest  living  settler  in 
the  fi\e  eastern  townships,  .\mong  some  of 
the  early  settlers  whom  he  intimately  knew  were 
Andy  Guinn.  Henry  and  Snowden  Sargent, 
James  and  Stephen  Redden,  Ambrose  and  John 
Martin  and  their  father  John,  Washington 
Boyce,  Re\-.  William  Watson,  a  Methodist 
preacher,  and  his  brother,  Parmenus. 


I.  W.  BURGETT. 


1.  W.  I'lurgctt.  deceased,  was,  during  his 
residence  in  Douglas  countv,  one  of  its  leading 
and  most  successful-  farmers.  From  the  time 
he  was  ten  years  old  he  spent  the  whole  of  iiis 
eventful  life  in  Sargent  township.  He  is  a 
descendant  of  English  and  German  ancestors, 
who  were  among  the  early  res'dents  of  Ohio, 
llis  grandfather  was  in  the  war  oi  181J.  His 
lather,  .Abraham  Burgett,  lived  in  Pickaway 
county  and  there  married  Eliza  Wells,  a  native 
of  Ohio.  He  and  his  wife  continued  to  li\e 
in  that  county,  and  there  Isaac  W.  Burgett  was 
born.  The  family  shortly  afterward  removed 
{i<  Imliana  and  settlecl  in  V^ermillion  comity, 
near  Perrys\ille,  on  the  Wabash  river.  Here 
Abraham  B.iu"gett  followed  the  occupations  of 
cooper  and  farmer.  lie  died  in  1840,  leaving 
lAc  children. 

Isaac  W.  Bm-gett  was  born  June  18,  18^9. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


!35 


When  the  t;uiiil\'  removed  to  Douglas  county  of  tiniher  rind  entered  eighty  acres  on  which 
they  settletl  near  tlie  mouth  of  Brushy  h'ork.  lie  moved  in  the  spring  of  i(S53,  and  at  tlie  time 
He  went  to  school  in  tlie  Sargent  neighborlu)od  of  his  death  owned  o\er  one  thousand  and  six 
and  in   the  xicinity  of  Xewman.      On  coming      liundred  acres  df  land.      lie  hecame  not   onlv 

pruminent  in  farming,  hut  alsu  an  extensive 
dealer  in  li\'e  stock.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  I'urgett 
had  ele\en  children  :  \\  ill  am  11..  .Margery  .\.. 
John  Wesley,  1  lezekiali  W'.,  h".hz;i  hdlen.  Sarah 
L;iizaheth.  Scott.  Wilson  S..  Maud  L..  Carl  S. 
and  Thomas  1'. 


\\dLLl.\.\l   11.  .\h:\\  l'(  )UT. 

William  11.   .\'c\\  port,  df  the  neighborhood 

ol  \\  est  1\  <lge.  ami  nne  <<(  the  must  successful 

larmers  in   l)i.u;.;Ias  cnuutw   was  horn   in    Tus- 

...  ,.  ,  ,    ,       ,       (.arawas  CMniitw  (  )hi(i,  l'\-l)ruar\- ().  1S40.  ason 

til    I  louglas    CMU.ny    h:s    mother    rciueil    land,  '  " 

and  when  a  ir.ere  hoy  lie  had  charge  of  the  farm 

and  wiih  a  younger  brother  |)crfonned  near!}' 

all  the  labor.    This  continu-d  untd  his  inotlier\ 

second   maniage.      In   the  summer   he  worked 

at    home    and    in    the    winter    went    to    school. 

When  alioni  eighteen  yjars  of  age  he  started 

cut  loi- himself  and  w(  irked  on  a  farm  for  fi-oni 

eight  to  ten   doll.irs  a   month.      Two  or   three 

_\efu's  were  s|)ont  in  this  waw 

December    jX,     1S4S,    he    was    ni.irried    t<i 

Tetitlia    Howard,    a    iiatixe   of  jacksun,    (  )hio. 

whose    ])arents    had    emigrated    to    X'ermillion 

county.   Indiana,  and  then  to   1  )ongl.is  countv, 

Illinois.      .\l  this  tune  his  c;i]iil;il  cmisisted  of 

tweiity-li\e   dollars    in    mmuw    and    one    Imrse, 

and  on  this  he  rented  l.uid  011  llrushy  l'"iii-k  and      of  John  and  Sus;inn,i   1  Rcnsberger)    .\'ew|)ort. 

began    l"arming.    renting    land    for    two    years.      i;atives  of  (  )liio.      1  le  has  resided  on  his  farm 

lie  afterward  bought,  on  credit,  twenty  acres      of   several    hundred    acres    for   thirteen   years, 


236 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


and  wliile  he  has  always  l)ccn  a  lonanl  lie  has 
been  most  successful. 

in  1S62  he  was  married  ti)  Miss  I'^annie 
Mishler.  wlin  was  horn  in  'i'uscai'aw  as  county, 
(^hio.  'I'o  their  marriage  have  been  born  fi\e 
children,  Charley.  Israel,  Eli,  Otis  and  Grover 
Newport.  Mr.  Xew])ort  is  a  member  of  the 
1.  ().  O.  F.  fraternity,  and  is  now  ser\ing;  as 
line  of  the  roatl  commissioners  of  bis  town- 
ship. He  is  liberal  and  bcnex'olent  toward  all 
enterprises  for  the  betterment  of  the  commun- 
ity in  which  he  li\'es. 


period.  George  Black,  with  his  family,  re- 
moved from  \'irginia  and  settled  in  Kentucky, 
some  time  before  the  war  of  181J.  He  became 
a  soldier  of  this  war  in  a  regiment  of  mounted 
rilleman  and  rendered  important  service  umler 
the  command  of  Gen.  Harrison. 

With  such  an  ancestry,  whose  character  and 
f|ualities  he  reproduced  an<l  reflected,  together 


uui;i-:Rr  m.  i'.lack. 

Robert  ]\1.  lilack,  the  subject  of  ijiis 
memoir,  came  from  an  ancestry  of  more  than 
ordinary  importance  and  prominence. 

His  great-grandfather,  with  his  family,  re- 
moved from  Scotland  and  settled  in  N'irginia 
soiue  }'ears  liefore  the  Rexdlutionary  war, 
passed  through  the  terrors  and  e.xcitement 
caused  by  the  traitor  .\rnoM  in  portions  <if  \'ir- 
ginia.  volunteered,  though  far  past  the  age  of 
liability,  for  military  serxicc,  and  was  one  of 
the  soldiers,  who.  under  Lafayette  and  Gen. 
\\'ayne,  turned  and  (lr(i\e  back  Lord  Cornwal- 
lis.  He  was  intimately  ac(|uaintcd  with  La- 
fayette, Gen.  Wayne  and  Gen.  Lord  Sterling, 
who  were  frequent  guests  at  his  house.  His 
youngest  son,  George  Black,  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  born  on  the  Sth  of  July,  17O7. 
He  was  nine  years  old  when  the  Declar.ation  of 
Independence  was  issued.  lie  was  a  son  of 
the  Re\-olution  and  saw  and  caught  the  spirit 
of  most  of  the  stirring  scenes  of  that  eventful 


with  his  own  indixidual  traits,  we  may  under- 
stand the  life  of  Robert  M.  Black,  who  was  the 
ninth  in  a  family  of  thirteen  children  born  to 
Andrew  and  Margaret  (  Lockridge )  Black. 
Andrew  Black  and  his  family  left  their  home  in 
Mt.  Sterling,  Kcnluck\-,  and  went  to  Green- 
castle,  Indiana,  in  1850.  The  life  of  Robert  M. 
lilack  dales  from  December  13.  1845.  '"  June 
I  I,  1899.  a  ])eriocl  of  fifty  three  years  of  great 
activity  and  success.  LI  is  Scotch  blood,  fired 
with  the  spirit  of  the  Ke\olution,  produced  a 
fine  type  of  .\merican  p.atriot  and  citizen.  In 
his  boyhood  days  the  future  man  already  ap- 
peared. Obedient  to  [jarents.  kind  in  disposi- 
tion, solicitous  about  the  welfare  and  happiness 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  237 


of  liis  1)nithcTs  and  sisters,  .-md  loyal  and  ini-  and  it  was  the  real  I'onndation  of  his  many  ex- 
sellish  toward  his  pl.ayni.ates.  he  early  dcvclo])fd  cellent  qu.alities  shown  in  toneh  with  his  t'el- 
inltj  a  true  man.  who  was  willins;-  and  anxious  low  men.  Mis  iovalty  to  his  friends  knew  no 
to  contribute  his  part  to  the  world'-,  proo-ress  hounds.  Every  true  man  found  in  him  a 
as  a  man  and  citizen.  .\t  the  ag'e  of  sixteen  he  worthy  and  constant  companion,  ;md  friend- 
enlisted  in  the  Seventy-eighth  hi<liana  Kegi-  ships,  formed  ni)on  manlv  qualities,  were  never 
ment  and  in  his  first  battle,  at  L'nion  City.  Ken-  broken.     Mis  large  heart  found  pleasure  in  re- 

tucky.  was  wounded  in  the  knee  in  the  midst  of  sponding.  in  a  substantial  way.  to  the  i r  or 

;i    display    of    uncommon    bravery.      \'et    his  those  in   temporary  distress.      '\\i  help  oiliers 
bra\ery  proliably  saved  his  life,  since,  while  he  was  a  real  jileasure  to  him,  ;md  being  interested 
was  facing  the  enemy  alone,  his  company  being  in  those  battling  with  adversity  he  w;is  inter- 
in  full  retreat,  the  rebel  commander  ordered  his  ested   in  all.      Me   was  progressive  and   public 
men  "not  to  shoot  so  brave  a  ]>oy."    Thus  early  sjjirited.    and    in    no    sense    lived    fi>r    himself 
in   life,   under  the  most 'trying  circumstances,  .'done.     Cheerfulness    was    his    constant    coui- 
a])peare(l   tho.se  sterling  ([ualities   which   madv'  p.anion  and  it  never  for^Mik  him.  althou'di  .-ill 
him  prominent  throughout  his  entire  life  and  others  were  gloomy.      Me  had  ;i  source  of  r.a 
endeared    him    with    ])cculiar    strength    to    his  di:mce    and    sunshine    that    seemed    denied    to 
comrades,     friends    and    ac(|naint;mces.       'i'he  m.anyof  his  fellows.     .Some  four  years  before 
wound    received    shortly    after    his    enlistment  his  demise  he  moved  to  this  county  on  ;i  l;n'"e 
greatly  hindered  him  the  rest  of  his  days,  but  l.irm  four  miles  north  of  (  )akland  (itv,  ;md  be- 
was  borne  with  the  same  cheerful  bravery  with  mg   a   careful    business    man    he    m.ade    money 
which  it  was  received.  and    friends  in  his  new  home,  and   he  .and   his 
In     I<S7_:;    he    was    married    to    iMiss    Mary  f.amily  were  soon  holding  a  large  |>l;ice  in  the 
I  iutchings.  who  lived  but  two  years  .afterward,  allections  and  good-vvill  of  the  entii"e  comnnni- 
In  1SS9  he  marrieil  .Miss  L.aura  .Mmire,  whom.  itv.     .\  community  m.av  with  pard.  ni.able  ]iride 
with   their   tour  children,   he   left   at   his  death  record   the  nanu'  of  so  true  and   noble  he.irteil 
well  ])rovide(l  loi'.     Me  vv;iseng;iged  in  I'.arming  a  citi/t'ii  in  its  C(  unlv  history, 
and  stock  business,  which  took  him  out  over  the 
country   and    into   the   neighboring  states   and 
caused  him  to  h.andle  a  v.asl  amount  of  nionev. 
Mis  business  brought  him  in  cout.act  with  men, 
and.  on  accoum  of  his  fair  dealings  and  sturdy 
sociability,  he  made  many  friends  and  exerted 
a  great  influence.      Me  was  interested  in  poli-  C.    I),   (ireve,  one  of  the  successful  voung 
tics  and  was  a  stanch  Republican.      In  religion  business   men   of   the   couniv   .and    the   leading 
he  was  a   Presbyterian,  w;is   for  many  years  a  gniin  buyer  at  (i.arretl.  was  born  one  mile  west 
member  of  the  church,  ;md  ;is  a    father  care-  of  the   village   .^eplember   .;-.    iXCX,   ;nid    is   a 
lully  brought  u])  his  children,     1  1  is  religion  was  sou  of  Thom.-is  (ireve,  who  emigrated   to  this 
not  toil  sacred  to  be  use<l  in  every-day  affairs  connlrv   from  Cermany  at  the  age  of  Iwenty- 


C.  I).  c,Kr-:\'F.. 


!38 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


one  and  settled  in  (iarrett  township.     His  wife  a    thorough    business    man.    enterprising,    and 

was  Catherine  Rilz.     Thomas  Greve  has  hved  promises  to  become  one  of  Garrett's  most  useful 

in  Garrett  township   for   forty  years,  engaged  citizens, 
in  farming,  and  at  present  owns  four  hundred 


and  fifty  acres  of  land.  I'oth  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Evangelical  church. 

C.  1).  Greve  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  after 
lca\ing  the  common  schools  spent  two  years 
ill  the  X'alparaiso  ( Indiana )  Normal,  .\fter 
leaving  school  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  and 
implement  business  and  continued  in  the  same 
for  seven  years.  In  1898  and  i8c)9  he  was 
elected  assessor. 

In  .March,  i8<)4,  Mr.  (ire\e  was  married  to 
Miss  Katie  Fralim,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  I-"rahm. 
1  hev  ha\e  four  children:  X'ictor,  Hilda.  Roy 
and  Paulina.  Air.  Gre\-e  is  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  that 
was  recently  organized  at  Garrett.  He  owns 
nine  acres  of  land  in  the  cori)orate  limits  of 
tiarrett,  and  also  a  very  fine  home  in  the  vil- 
lage, besides  some  other  town  property.     He  is 


ISAAC  SKINNER. 

Isaac  Skinner  was  born  in  Vermillion  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  January  5,  1829,  and  is  a  son  of 
Jose])h  Skinner,  who  was  among  the  earliest 
settlers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Xewman,  com- 
ing, in  1839,  from  \'ermillion  county,  Indiana, 
and  settling  along  the  timber  a  mile  and  ;i  half 
southwest  of  where  Newman  now  is.  There 
were  no  schools  in  the  \icinitv  when  he  first 
came  to  the  county.  He  worked  for  bis  father 
until  of  age  and  then  engaged  in  farming  on 
rented  land.  In  about  1853  he  bad  saved 
money  enough  to  enter  one  hundred  and  sixt\' 
acres    of    land.      His    mother,    whose    maiden 


name  was  Polly  (jaston,  was  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Gaston,  who  lived  in  Meigs  county. 
Ohio,  and  probably  was  a  native  of  Canada. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


239 


His  father,  Joseph,  was  horn  in  Maine.  His 
grandmother,  Sarali  (laston,  was  hum  on  the 
St.  Lawrence  ri\er,  wliile  her  jiarents  were  held 
captives  Ijy  tlie  IncHaus. 

Isaac  ."^kinner  was  reareil  un  a  farm  and  re- 
ceived tlie  limitetl  school  advantages  that  were 
comnn)n  in  that  day.  He  was  first  ;i  Whig  and 
since  the  hirth  of  the  Repuhlican  party  has  been 
identified  with  that  organization.  lie  h;i.s  heen 
three  times  marrieil.  hirst,  in  I'ehrnarv.  1H59. 
he  married  Miss  Mahala  Drake,  wlm  died  in 
1S65.  His  second  wife  was  Mrs.  M.iry  Hill, 
whiise  maiden  name  was  Lewis:  hei-  death  uc- 
cnrred  in  i86q.  I  lis  third  wife  was  Mrs. 
Catherine  Barnes,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Mell.  He  has  {'we  children,  one,  Rohert.  horn 
of  the  lirst  union,  and  fonr.  Katie,  Margaret, 
I'dvin  .and  Arthur,  iiy  the  last  m.arriage.  Mr. 
Skinner  owns  three  hundred  and  twentv  acres 
of  land  adjoining  the  city  of  .\ewman,  and  has 
aliont  retiix'd  from  active  hitsiness  ])ursuits. 
lie  joined  the  .\letho<hst  church  in  1S3S.  .\s 
a  christian  gentlemrm  ;ind  pulilic-s|)ii-ited  citi- 
yx']).  .Mr.  .Skinner  h.as  an  en\i;ihle  record,  one 
n]ion  which  he  and  his  friends  can  look  with 
iiriile  .and  s.ati.sfaclion. 


ALEXAXDh:k  HAXXE. 

-Alexander  Hance.  who  is  one  of  the  ideal 
farmers  of  Douglas  county,  came  to  .Xewman 
townshi])  in  1871  and  engaged  as  ,an  ordinary 
tarni  hand.  ;it  which  he  ciiutinued  for  some 
se\en  or  eight  years.  His  career  is  a  line  e.\- 
amjile  of  what  a  man  can  do  witii  a  determined 
]nirpose  in  life.      iM-oin  the  ordin.arv  walks  of 


life  he  has  gradually  risen  to  the  front  r.ank  as 
;i   farmer,  stock-raiser  and  a  husiness  man. 

Mr.  Hance  was  l)orn  in  W  .ashington  coun- 
ty, Tennessee,  Fehruary  19.  1S50.  and  there  he 
remained  until  lie  came  to  Douglas  coinitv.  lie 
purch;ised  his  first  Land  of  three  hundreil  .and 
twenty  acres  in  iSSg,  paying  thirty  doll.ars  per 
acre  for  it,  .and  has  since  added  one  hundred 
.and  si\t\'  acres,     lie  is  a  son  of  Mordecai  .and 


Millie  ( L.ackey )  I  lance,  who  were  horn  re- 
specti\-ely  in  Xorth  CaroIin;i  .and  east  Tennes- 
see. His  fathei-.  who  resided  ;it  Tompkins- 
\a'lle,  Kentucky,  \dlunteered  in  iNf)i  in  the 
Ninth  Kentucky  Cawalry.  ;ind  rem.ained  out  un- 
til the  close  of  the  wai'.  I  le  w.as  w  ith  Sherman 
mostly,  and  w;is  with  Inm  from  Atl.iuta  to  the 
sea.  He  was  ;i  son  of  .Samui-j  I  l.ancc.  who  was 
horn  in  haigland.  Alexander  Lackey  was  Mr. 
llance's  niatern.al  grandf.ather.  .Alexander 
llance  cai'ries  on  tanning  on  ,a  \er\-  extensive 
scale  and  leeds  regul.arh-  .ahout  one  or  twi>  htin- 
dri'd  head  of  cattle. 

In  1S74  our  suhject  was  united  in  marriage 


240 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


til  Miss  Xancv,  a  daiig-hter  of  John  H.  Biggs, 
who  came  to  nortli  Xewman  townsliip  from 
Edgar  county  in  ahout  1H55.  His  wife  (hed  in 
1895.  To  them  were  horn  seven  chil(h-en  :  Bur- 
nette,  Roljcrt,  Myrtle,  jay  and  Joseph.  Hving; 
and  (ilenn  and  an  infant,  deceased.  His  sec- 
ond and  present  wife  was  Miss  Generva,  a 
daugliter  of  W.  H.  Hoiton,  of  near  Jefferson- 
ville,  ln(Hana.  Twn  chihh'en  have  Ijlessed  tliis 
union:  Leon  and  Leonard.  Mr.  Hance  has 
served  as  commissioner  of  ihgliways  and  has 
l)een  a  ruling  elder  of  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian church,  at  Fairlield.  since   iHyj. 


JOSEPH  ASHURST. 

Josejih  Ashurst,  princijial  and  superintend- 
ent of  the  Camargo  public  schools  and  present 
uominee  of  the  Democratic  party  for  the  office 
lit  county  superintendent  of  schools,  has  been 
a  leading  educator  in  the  county  for  several 
years.  He  was  b(iru  in  .Somerset,  Pulaski  conn- 
tv.  Kentuckv.  .\pril  16,  1872.  and  is  a  son  of 
llenrv  Clav  and  Elizabeth  ( Thurman )  .\s- 
burst,  who  were  both  born  in  Pulaski  county, 
Kentuckv.  His  grandfathers.  Henry  Ashurst 
and  Josei)b  Thurman.  were  natives  of  \'ir- 
ginia  and  early  settlers  in  Pulaski  county, 
where  they  were  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. His  father.  Henry  C.  .\shurst.  was  one 
time  sheriff  of  bis  native  county. 

Jose]ih  .\shurst  attended  the  common  school 
and  afterward  the  high  school,  and  is  largely 
self  educated.  In  Douglas  county  he  stands  at 
the  verv   front   rank  as  a  successful   educator 


and  teaches  in  his  schools  at  Camargo,  beside 
the  common  branches,  botany,  jjliilosophv. 
zoology  and  algelira.  Prior  to  his  coming  to 
Camargo,  which  was  in  September.  i8g(;,  he  re- 
sided at  .\rthur,  where  he  located  in  iS()o  and 
taught  school  in  the  country  and  subsequentlv 
was  grammar  teaclier  in  the  Arthur  schools, 
A\  hich  position  he  resigned  to  accept  his  present 
one.  hi  1894  be  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Lucy  B.,  a  daughter  of  Henry  C.  Wood. 


a  retired  farmer,  of  .Vrthur,  but  formerly  of 
I\hjultrie  county.  Mr.  Wood  was  born  near 
\'inceuues,  Indiana,  in  1845,  and  is  a  son  of 
F.h  Wood,  who  was  an  early  settler  in  Kuok 
county,  migrating  from  Xortb  Carolina.  He 
V.  as  a  soldier  in  Company  !•",  Eighteenth  In- 
fantry, and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
His  wife  was  .Miss  .\nn  .Sbultz.  of  Piatt 
county. 

Joseph  Ashurst,  because  of  bis  high 
merit  as  an  educator  and  gener.nl  popularity 
as  a  e-entleman,  was  chosen  \)y  the  Democratic 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  241 

party  to  make  t1ie  race  fm-  ctnintv  superintend-  </).     lie  immediately  entere<l  npon  tlie  ])raetire 

tnt  in  the  next  election,  and  it  is  conceded  that  df  his  ]iroression  at   Belle\'ille.    Illimiis.   whtre 

he  has  most  excellent  chances  of  l)ein,!.;' elected.  Ik-  remained   in  acti\e  jiractice   toi-  twd  years. 

1  le  owns  ei.i^hty-five  acres  of  land  jnst  south  ol  Then   he  remoxed   to    I'xmd   connty,   where   he 

Areola;  is  a  memhei'  of  tlie  .Masonic  anil  (  )dd  was  located  nntil    1S1J3,  when,  on  the    iJth  ot 

h'ellows  fraternities  and  of  the  Woodmen,      lie  (  U-toher.  in  the  same  year,  he  came  to  .\rcola. 

lias  been  retained  in  the  L  amar^O  schools   lor  lie  i-ame  here  with  a  lixed  ])urpose  of  makin;:;" 

another  year  at  (piite  a  good  increase  in  salary.  Areola  and  \icinity  his  held  of  wurk,  rnid  time 

therel^y   showing    to    the    people    of    Camargo  has  pro\en  that  he  has  made  no  mistake  in  his 

and  rJotiglas  coiintv  that  his  work  is  ap])reci-  location.      He  almost    immediately   got   into  a 

ated.     Although  the  maioritv  in  the   lall  elec-  paN'ing  ])ractice,  and  within  the  last  }ear  he  has 

tion  is  against  him  he  has  a  lietter  show   f(.)r  all  the  hiisiness  that  he  could  possihly  attend  to. 

election  than  any  other  candidate  that  the  Dem-  Dr.    Moser  is  a  sjjlendid   judge  of  human 

oeralic  part\'  has  put  out  in  several  years.  nature,  a  close  ohser\'er  and  skilled  in  the  diag- 
nosis of  his  patients.  AtTahle  and  ai>pi'oach- 
ahle.  he  has  within  a  vei'y  short  time  made  a 
host  of  suhslanti.al  friends.  (  )n  1  )ecemher  10, 
|8<S|.  he  was  united  in  marriage  ;md  h;is  three 

childi'en  :     l.ola,  \  iohi  and   llatlie. 
GEORC.F.   11.   MOSl-.R. 

George  H.  Moser,  a  well  known  and  sue-  

cessful   homeopathic  ]ihysician  of  .Xrci'la.   was 

horn    in   .Vulnirn.   Schuylkill    county.    I'ennsyl- 

\ania.   Deceml)er    i<;.    \^^f).  and   is  the  son  of  t     .     Mc(iO\VN 

jdhn   .\losei'.  a  natixe  of  the  same  state.      Ills 

mother    was   .\l\inia    1  lellig.    who    was   a    de-  J.  A.  McGown,  a  most  successful  business 

scendant  of  Ouaker  aneestr\ .      The  .\ loser  fain-  man   and    a   t\])ii'al    f.irmer    residing   in    Xew- 

ily  are  descendants  of  the  Dutch,  w  Ik  jse  lineage  man  township,  w.ashorn  in  Ivlgar  county,  llli- 

is    traced    hack    by    some   of    the    luenibers    to  nois,  .March  30.  iSj;_',  and  is  a  son  of  j,  ihn  and 

1  )aniel     .\loser,   who    made    his    settlement    in  (  )li\'e    lllacknian,    who    were    natixes    of    Ken- 

I'ennsylvama  in  the  year  i'7<;9.  ti:cky  and  .\'ew    \t>yk  respectix  ely.     His  father 

Doctor  .Moser  came  west   a?id  early  in  life  emigrated  to   I'^dgar  conntv.   where  he  resided 

turned  his  attention  to  the  stnd_\-  of  medicine,  up  to  his  death,  which  occurred  .\pril   1  S,  iHi<j. 

.After  a  thorough   preparation   he  entered   the  I  lis  mother  died  in   1892. 

1  hmieop.ithic  .Medical  College  ol   Missouri,  at  |.  .\.  .Mctiown  was  reared  to  m;mhoiid  ori 

St.   Louis,  which  is  one  ot   the  leading  medical  :i   faian  in  his  n;iti\c'  CMunl\-  ;md  in  about    1875 

institutions   ol    the    west,    and    was    graduated  located  in  .X'ewni.ni  ti  >\\  n^hip.  where- he  now  re- 

with  dislinguisheil  honors  in  the  class  of  1  SSy-  sides.       lie   owii.~,    fdur    hundi'ed    and    se\ent\- 
ia 


>42 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


two  acres  of  highly  cultivated  land  and  one  of 
the  most  magnificent  residences  in  the  comity, 
lie  farms  on  business  principles  and  has  made 
himself  independent  in  a  financial  way  by  his 
careful  and  methodical  way  oi  doing  things. 
On  November  22,  1881,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Martha  C.  Todd,  and  to  th.eir 
marriage  have  been  born  five  children:  Flor- 
ence, Olive,  Grace,  Arthur  and  Anne. 

Our  subject  has  held  the  office  of  road  com- 
missioner for  nine  years,  and  twenty-one  years 
out  oi  the  twenty-five  he  has  resided  in  New- 
man township  he  has  been  school  director  and 
is  greatly  interested  in  the  success  of  education. 
In  1898  he  built  his  new  house.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Order 
of   Woodmen. 


JOHN  M.  MADISON. 

Within  the  past  two  years  Tuscola  has 
lost  many  of  its  oldest  and  most  prominent 
citizens  by  death,  but  in  the  list  none  have  lieen 
more  sadly  missed  or  sincerely  mourned 
than  our  subject,  John  M.  Madison,  wlK)se 
death  occurred  Monday,  July  13,  1896.  He 
was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Kentucky,  May 
6,  1823,  and  was  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  the 
seventy- fourth  year  of  his  age.  He  belonged 
to  a  family  of  ten  children;  one  brother  and 
two  sisters  are  still  living:  H.  B.  Madison,  Tus- 
cola; Mrs.  Harriet  Parrish,  of  Cynthiana,  Ken- 
tucky ;  and  Mrs.  Parnielia  Carter,  of  Wash- 
ington. 

On  September  22,  1851,  our  subject  mar- 
ried Miss  Jennie  Rankin,  at  Cynthiana,  a  good 


and  noble  woman,  who  preceded  him  to  the 
grave  only  a  few  years.  To  them  were  born 
Harry,  Robert  and  Fannie,  all  of  whom  re- 
side in  Tuscola,  the  two  former  composing  the 
large  clothing  house  of  Harry  Madison  &  Com- 
pany. In  1854  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Madison  came  to 
Charleston,  Illinois,  where  he  opened  up  a  store, 
and  in  i860  they  removed  to  Tuscola,  where 
Mr.  Madison  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness, which  he  continued  up  to  within  two 
years  of  his  tieath.  For  many  years  he  con- 
ducted the  leading  general  store  in  Tuscola  and 
by  his  honesty  and  straightforward  dealing 
with  his  fellrnv  men  prospered  in  a  gratifying 
manner.  He  was  a  man  of  unquestioned  char- 
acter and  possessed  the  fullest  confidence  of  all 
of  our  people.  He  and  his  wife  spent  the  later 
years  of  their  lives  with  their  daughter,  Mrs. 
Fannie  Loose,  who  made  it  the  purpose  of  her 
life  to  care  for  them  and  make  their  last  days 
pleasant,  granting  their  every  wish. 


OWEN  E.  JONES. 

Owen  E.  Jones,  one  of  the  leading  mer- 
chants of  Murdock  since  1893,  and  the  second 
son  of  -Abram  Jones,  was  born  in  Murdock 
township,  January  31,  1862.  After  leaving 
the  common  schools,  he  took  a  course  at  the 
commercial  college  at  Terre  Haute  in  1897. 
In  1899  Mr.  Jones  took  in  as  a  partner  Percy 
Welliver,  and  the  firm  is  doing  a  thriving 
business. 

In  1894  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss 
Nora   B.    Dever,   of   Murdock,    Illinois.     Mr. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


243 


Jdik-s  is  a  nienihcr  (if  the  A[o(kTii  \\'iii"linen : 
l;c  and  liis  wife  arc  nicnihcrs  of  the  AlelhiKhst 
churcli ;  lie  is  classed  as  one  of  the  pm- 
gressive  and  successful  business  men  of  the 
county. 

William  Junes,  eldest  son   nf  .Xbrani,   and 
a    well  l<iiii\vn    grain    buyer    and    lidtel    keeper 
of  Murdock,  was  biirn  in   Newman  townshi]). 
this  county,  .\i)ril  4,   1X5S,  and  was  reared  (in 
the   farm  one  and   (inc-half   miles    frcm   Mur- 
doch.     His   edneatiiin     was     receixcd     in     the 
r.eig-hl)orho(i(l  scIkkiIs,  and  at  the  ai;"e  of  twenty- 
one    started      in     merchandising-     at     Hume, 
where  he  continued   tn  dn  business    for   three 
}ears.      In    iSSj  he  entjaqed   in  the  same  line 
(il    business  at   Murddck,   and   remained    there 
until    iXX().      In  the  latter  year  he,  with  Jdhn 
W.    r.uri;elt,   of   Saro'cnt   township,    fdrmed   a 
partnership  in  buyini^-  n^rain  at  .Murddck.   They 
Cdntinued  Id  dn  business  fur  twd  years,  when 
the  lirm  w;is  succeeded  by  I'red  1.  Rush  &  Co., 
dl   Indianapdjis,  Mr.  Jdues  acting  as  the  bu\'er. 
lie  buys  .about  three  hundred  thousand  bush- 
els of  gr.'iin  anuuallw  which  is  purchased  prin- 
cipally   friim   Murddck   township    f.armers.      In 
October,    iS()(j,    he   took   charge   of   the   Jones 
House,  which  was  [jreviously  mrm.aged  by  his 
father,  .\liram  Jones. 

In  1880  Mr.  Jones  was  wedded  to  .Miss 
Victoria  Dever,  (if  Clark  Cdtnity.  Illinois. 
They  h;i\-e  twn  children,  .\sher  C.  and  .\ellie 
1!.  I'rom  |8(J3  lo  iSi>8  he  ser\ed  as  jiost- 
master  at  .Murdoch,  and  is  now  ser\ing  his 
twelfth  year  as  justice  of  the  ])eace.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  .Modern  Woodmen,  and  him- 
self and  wife  are  members  df  the  Metbddist 
church.  He  is  one  (if  the  subslruUial  citizens 
who  has  ddue  well  his  part  tn  add  stabilitv  to 
to  the  business  .and  social  life  (if  .Mnrddck. 


.\br;un  J(.incs,  father  (if  William  W.  and 
Owen  E..  was  one  of  the  early  .settlers  of  what 
is  now  Douglas  county.  He  came  in  the  fall 
of  1853  and  located  on  a  farm  southeast  of 
Tuscola,  where  he  resided  with  his  cousin, 
(  )wen  Jones,  until  his  marriage  in  185:^.  He 
married  Miss  Elizabeth  Eagler,  of  Macksburg, 
Ohio.  In  1857  he  became  a  tenant  f.armer 
in  what  was  then  called  Coles  county,  and  in 


18^13  mined  to  what  is  now  known  as  Mur- 
dock  township,  D(.(uglas  county,  where  be  has 
lived  since  and  become  the  owner  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land,  which  he  has 
only  recently  .sold  and  retired  from  active 
business.  He  was  born  (Jctober  16,  iHj(>.  in 
M(.im-oe  Cdunly,  (  )lii(i,  .and  is  a  son  of  Samuel 
Jones.  His  grandfather,  hlphraim  J(jnes,  was 
bdrn  in  W.ales,  and  his  maternal  grrmdfather, 
Patrick    Ilannltdu,    was   burn    in    Ireland. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  .Abram  Jones  were  also 
born  four  daughters.  (i)  .Anna  Belle  was 
born  Se|ilember  5,  1856,  and  became  the  wife 
(il  Hugh  .M.  Wilson.      I'd  them  were  b(jrn  two 


244 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


cliildren.  one  of  wlioni  dicil  in  infancy:  and 
Marvin  A.  Mrs.  W'ijsun  died  Jnne  2^.  1898. 
(2)Mary  Frances  was  horn  Xnxeniher  4,  i8()0, 
and  died  January  _',  1861.  (3)  Carrie  was 
born  N(:)\'enil)er  6,  i8C)4,  and  on  March  [y, 
1885,  became  the  wife  of  Samuel  P.axter. 
Tlieir  chikh'en  were  Samuel  H.  and  Ciertrude. 
(4)  Lulie  lowen  was  born  September  25. 
1867,  and  on  September  4.  1895,  married  Jdhn 
Home.  The  death  of  Mrs.  .\bram  Jones 
occurred  July  8,   1893. 


CAPTAIN  DA\TD  BAILEY. 

Captain  David  Bailey,  of  Tuscola,  one  of 
the  best  and  most  faxurably  known  citizens  of 
the  C(junty,  was  burn  in  Ldg'ar  county,  Decem- 
ber 24,  1845.  'i"^'  ^^'"'■'^  reared  on  the  farm  and 
received  his  education  in  the  W'estfield  College. 
For  some  years  he  resided  on  his  farm  of  320 
acres  in  Murdock  township.  In  May,  1887, 
with  his  familv,  lie  rcmoxed  from  his  farm  to 
Tuscola,  wliere  he  resides  in  one  of  the  beau- 
tiful homes  for  which  this  place  is  noted. 

In  1870  he  marrieil  Miss  Eiizal^eth  Cal- 
houn, w  ho  is  a  most  estimable  woman.  '1  hey 
ha\-e  two  children,  Gertrude  and  Edward.  Caj)- 
tain  Bailey  is  a  Knight  Templar  in  Masonry. 
and  is  of  easy  and  pleasing  address,  \ery  ap- 
proachable and  a  genial  companion.  He  is  a 
son  of  David  Bailey,  who  was  born  in  Salem, 
Kockingham  county.  New  Hampshire,  .August 
2,  1814,  of  i)Oor  but  honest  parents,  his  father 
being  a  farmer  and  shoemaker,  to  which  busi- 
ness most  of  the  boys  in  that  section  of  the 


country  were  brought  up.  There  were  nine 
children  in  this  New  England  Ixime,  three 
boys  and  si.x  girls,  and  the  story  of  their  early 
life  is  only  that  which  has  been  written  of  so 
many  others,  of  hard  work  and  of  a  few  months 
only  at  the  district  school  during  the  winter 
season.  David  Bailey  had  no  further  oppor- 
tunity for  scholastic  training.  Indeed,  while 
yet  under  twelve  years  of  age  he  was  put  nut 
to  W(jrk.  After  spending  a  nnmbjr  of  years 
on  the  farm  Mr.  Bailey  found  an  opportumlv 
to  enter  a  clerkship  at  Haverhill,  Mas.sachusetts. 
but  did  not  long  remain  there  on  account  of 
poor  health.  He  soon  drifted  into  I'.oston,  or 
rather  to  Charlestciwn,  where  he  for  a  time  held 
a  clerkship  in  the  state  jiemtentiary.  Late  m 
the  '30s  he  decided  to  fijUow  the  star  of  empire, 
and  came  west  as  far  as  Danville,  Illinois,  en- 
teruig  a  general  store,  and  it  was  whde  there 
that  he  hrst  met  Miss  liannali  .\.  binlev.  to 
whom  he  was  married  b'eljruary  9,  1841.  ui 
this  union  were  born  ti\e  children  :  three  sons, 
Edward,  president  of  the  Champaign  National 
Bank,  of  that  city;  David,  of  Tuscola, 
and  Ozias.  of  Te.xas,  who  survi\e  their 
father;  and  two  daughters.  Abiah,  who  died  m 
childhood,  and  hue  Bailey  hlayucii,  who  died 
some  years  ago  in  W  aco,  Te.xas. 

-After  spending  some  time  working  in  Dan- 
ville, Mr.  Bailey  went  to  Blooniheld,  Edgar 
county,  walking  all  tlie  way  because  he  had  not 
the  means  to  pay  coach  fare,  that  being  the  on- 
ly mode  of  travel  in  those  days.  1  here  he  took 
a  pt)sition  on  a  salary.  Later,  with  his  brother 
Ozias.  who  had  recentl}-  come  west  with  a  few 
dollars  sa\ed.  he  formed  a  partnership,  under 
the  firm  name  of  O.  iS:  D.  Bailey,  and  the  Bailey 
peddler  wagons  became  well  known  all  over  the 


I 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


245 


countr\'  lietween  the  Wabash  and  Sangamon 
rivers.  The  brothers  also  operated  a  pork  pack- 
ing establishment  at  Clinton.  Indiana,  i)n  the 
Wabash,  shipping  their  profluct  by  flat-boat  to 
New  Orleans. 

Abont  1855  J\lr.  Bailey  mo\cd  U>  Mmiti- 
celld,  thence,  after  a  short  soinurn.  to  I'rbana, 
and  in  March.  icS3(),  he  renimecl  to  L'hampaign. 
where  for  a  number  of  years  he  successfully 
conducted  a  dry  goods  business  in  the  location 
where  now  stands  the  Metropolitan  block,  oc- 
cupied by  F.  K.  Robeson  &  ISrother. 

Aside  from  this  Mr.  I'lailcy  was  one  of  the 
original  shareholders  and  directors  of  the  b'irst 
National  Bank,  and  it  was  largely  through  bis 
efforts  that  the  charier  was  secured.  The 
names  appearing  with  his  in  the  original  arti- 
cles of  incorporation  were  James  S.  Wright. 
John  F.  Thomas.  William  M.  AN'ay.  Hamil- 
ton Jefferson,  B.  F.  Harris,  John  S.  Beasley, 
Daniel  Ciardner,  William  C.  Barrett.  Simon  H. 
Busey,  S.  P.  Percival,  John  ("..  Clark  and  A.  I*:. 
Harmon.  Mr.  Bailey  disposed  of  his  holdings 
in  this  institution  some  time  during  the  'jus. 
In  l88_'  he  became  one  of  the  cliarter  members 
of  the  Champaign  .Xational  I'lank,  in  which  his 
hi  ildittgs  w  ere  always  ci  msiilerablc  and  m  w  hich 
he  had  been  a  direi'tor  continuously  since  its 
organization.  During  .Mr.  I'lailcx's  I'csidence 
in  t]n>  cit\'  he  was  several  times  elected  to  tlie 
bo.-u'd  of  ^uper\isors.  .and  also  served  one  term 
as  school  trustee.  lie  was  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  contributing  liberally,  yet  wisely,  to 
every  worthy  enterprise,  whether  secular  or  re- 
ligious. His  givings  were  never  ostentatious, 
liut  it  may  be  said  in  passing  that  among  his 
gifts  are  numbered  the  lot  occuiiied  by  the  Bap- 
tist parsonage,  be  being  a  meml)er  of  that  so- 


ciety, and   the  valuable  ground   now  occupied 
by  the  city  building. 

Mr.  Bailey  gave  up  his  residence  in  Cham- 
paign about  1877,  traveling  for  a  season,  and 
finally  locating  in  St.  Jose])h.  Missouri,  where 
he  remained  until  after  the  death  of  his  wife, 
in  i87().  He  then  lived  for  a  time  in  Xew 
\'ork  City,  and  finally  returned  ti>  his  boyhood 
home  in  New  Hampshire  where  he  resided  most 
of  the  time  until  his  death,  visiting  his  1  ild  hi  mie 
and  friends  in  Champaign  freipientlv.  .March 
2J,  1882,  he  luarried  Miss  Harriet  1  laseltine,  of 
Methune,  Massachusetts,  and  only  twn  weeks 
afterward  followed  her  remains  to  the  ceme- 
tery. He  was  again  marrieil,  on  .Xovembcr 
I,  i88f),  at  Salem,  Xew  Hampshire,  to  Mrs. 
.Mary  1!.  ]m\  ins,  who  survives  him.  .She  has 
olten  visited  here  with  him  and  has  made  manv 
warm  friends,  wIkjsc  sincere  symijalhy  attends 
her  in  this  bereavement. 

Mr.  Bailey's  new  home  in  Chamiiaign,  built 
on  the  site  of  the  old  f.amilv  residence,  had  just 
been  completed  and  occu])ied  bv  him,  and  it 
was  bis  intention  had  he  lived  to  si)end  the  clos- 
ing d.ays  of  bis  life  <'uuid  the  scenes  of  his  great- 
est successful  activitv.  .Mr.  Itailcy  was  a  man 
ot  magiuhcent  phvsical  presence  and  it  mav 
be  truly  said  that  he  carried  within  his  breast  a 
soni  worthy  so  splendid  a  b,-ibitation.  lie 
Sought  no  man's  praise,  satisheil  to  luave  the 
a]ipro\al  of  his  own  conscience,  ;uid  he  was  un- 
niov.'ible  in  his  adherence  to  justice  and  right. 
Once  his  duty  was  m;ule  ])l;iin  nothing  coitid 
swerve  liim  from  it.  '^'et  under  a  stern  exterior 
beat  a  great,  big,  kind  heart,  as  those  who  knew 
him  can  best  testify.  He  was  a  manly  luati, 
;uid  that  means  much.  His  cb.ar.acter,  devel 
oped  in  the  pioneer  days,  may  not  have  take) 


246 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


on  l1ie  estlietic  finish  of  these  later  times,  but 
what  it  lacked  in  polish  it  made  up  in  strength 
and  integrity.  The  life  and  lab®rs  of  such  as 
he  have  made  possible  the  greater  comfort  and 
Ijeauty  in  the  workl  of  the  present. 

During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  David 
Bailey,  Jr.,  enlisted  as  a  member  of  the  Sixty- 
seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  and  at  the  close  of  his 
three  months'  term  of  enlistment  returned  home 
and  in  1864  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  serving  until  the 
close  of  the  war. 


ALBERT  F.  FIDLER. 

Albert  E.  Eidler  is  one  of  the  self-made 
and  highly  successful  young  farmers  and  busi- 
ness men  of  the  countv,  and  is  a  son  of  Levi 


father,  Samuel,  was  a  nati\'e  of  Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  of  Dutch  ancestry. 
Adam  Fidler  (great-grandfather),  who  came 
originally  from  Germany,  was  the  founder  of 
this  branch  of  the  Eidler  family  in  America. 


h'idlcr.  who  was  burn  April  _'8,  IcSkj,  in  Berks 
county,     Pennsylvania,       Albert    F,'s   grand - 


(])ur  subject's  grandfather,  Samuel  k'idler, 
fought  ill  the  war  of  1812,  and  his  great-grand- 
father, Adam,  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 
Samuel  h^idler  was  a  brick  plasterer  and  con- 
tractor by  trade,  and  was  married  to  a  dauidi 
ler  of  Valentine  Sbowalter,  who  was  born  in 
PennsyKaiiia  and  was  descended  from  Ger- 
man ancestry. 

Levi  h^idler  was  reareil  to  manhood  in 
Lebanon  county,  Pennsylvania,  until  he  be- 
came of  age,  when,  in  1840,  he  emigrated  west 
and  settled  in  Union  county,  Indiana,  and  in 
1 86 1  located  in  what  is  innv  Newman  town- 
ship, Douglas  count}-.  He  learned  the  car- 
[jentering  business,  at  which  he  was  engaged 
u\)  to  1861,  when  be  l)ouglit  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Thomas  H,  Smith  farm,  one  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  247 


the  finest   in   tlie  couiitv.      He  kept  this   farm  Malmninq-)      cotinty,     Ohio,    i.f    .Scoteh-lrish 

until     1885,   when    he  sold   it.      In   1842  Levi  origin. 

Fidler  wedded  Mary  Ann  Hessler,  a  native  of  Rev.  James  Wright  (fatlier)  received  Ins 
Biiurhon  townsliip  and  a  daughter  of  Joim  and  e<hicaticin  ft)r  tlie  Presbyterian  nnnistrv  at  the 
Mary  (Tliomas)  Hessler,  wlio  were  furmerly  Canonshurg  College,  and  spent  most  of  his  life 
of  Kentucky.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  I^'idler  were  in  preaching  the  gospel,  first  at  Poland,  and 
horn  the  following  children:  John,  Matilda,  later  at  Westfield,  Pennsylvania.  He  died  in 
William  J.,  Joseph  S.,  Dan  G.,  George  \V.,  1S43  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  His  father 
Smith  T.,  LaFayette,  Sarah  C,  Levy  Eddy  was  Alexander  Wright,  who  was  an  early  .set- 
and  .\lljert  F.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  John  tier  from  the  north  of  Ireland,  to  W;ishing- 
S.,  William  J.  and  Daniel  G.  ser\ed  in  the  Civil  ton  county,  lie  married  a  Scotch  girl  bv  the 
war.  name  of  Esther  Silco.x.  Robert  Kidd  (grand- 
.Mbert  V.  I'idler  h;is  made  it  a  rule  in  his  father)  was  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  was  an 
life  to  do  wh;it  he  does  well.  Commencing  early  settler  in  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  and  in 
lile  with  comparati\ely  nothing,  bnl  with  a  religious  .'iffairs  he  was  known  as  a  Seceder  in 
willing  mind  and  heart,  he  has  attained  ;i  de-  'hat  day,  niiw  known  as  a  Cnited  I'resbyterian. 
gree  of  success  in  life  far  .aboxe  the  axerage.  James  H.  Wright  was  reared  in  his  native 
He  is  yet  a  comparati\ely  yoimg  man.  and  his  county,  ;md  in  1 'ennsyh  ania,  receiving  the  ad- 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  is  one  vantages  i.if  ;m  onlinary  educ;ition.  In  1857  he 
of  the  most  iiroductive  and  successfully  man-  came  west  and  located  at  .\rcola,  which  ;it  that 
aged  in  Douglas  county.  In  i88_:;  he  was  time  contained  but  three  hou.ses,  and  was  for 
united  in  lu.arriage  to  Miss  -\nna  Lewis,  of  several  years  engaged  in  farming  in  that  vicin- 
Newiu.an,  Illinois,  to  whom  he  is  nuich  de\'oted  'ty.  In  1873  he  commenced  bu\ing  gr.aiii  at 
and  who  has  been  ;i  true  and  dexoted  wife  to  llindsboro.  where  he  continued  successfnllv  in 
lum,  'fhey  h;i\e  the  following  children:  business  until  1880,  \v1kmi  he  reino\ed  to  Ar- 
Mona  .ind  \\':iync.  thur,   where  he   has  since   resided,   eng.agcd   in 

buying  grain    for  the   firm   of    liarllell,    Kuhii 

&  Co. 

Jn  1848  Mr.  Wright  was  unileil  in  m.arriage 

to  Miss  .Sarah  b..  Rogers,  who  was  a  daughter 

J.XMES  11.  WKlGiri".  "f   Samuel    ;ind    Sarah    \\';iugli    Rogers.      She 

wasb(jrii  in  Xew  liedford.  1 'eniis\  I  v;iiii;i.  'flie\' 

James   11.   Wright,  one  of  the  oldot   grain  li.ave  se\en  children:   Willi.im,   who  resides  in 

buyers  in  the  county,  residing  ;it  Arthur,  was  Cairo:  .Sadie;  b'rank  1*^.,  who  li\es  in  .\rlhiir, 

born  ne.ar  the  town  of  I 'ol.-ind,  1'runibull   (now  cng.aged    in   the   lumber   business:    .S.amuel    R., 

Mahoning)  county,  ( )hio.  bebruary 'M8_>7,;ind  a  fariuer  in  South  Dakota;   bihii  M.,  engineer 

is  a  son  of  James  and  M;iry   (Kidd)    Wright,  of  his  father's  grain  elev.alor;  Nettie,  wife  of 

who  were  born  near    I'ol.and,  'frumbull    (now'  G.  H.  Daniron,  of  Areola;  and  .\.   K.  resides 


248 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


in  Springfield,  Illinnis.  'S\v.  ^\'l•ig•l^t  has  been 
an  Odd  Fellow  since  1852,  and  has  served  as 
president  of  the  town  board  of  Arthur.  James 
H.  \Vright  has  passed  the  allotted  three-score 
and  ten  )-ears  of  man.  but,  owing  to  his  ab- 
stemious habits  and  goo<\  constitution,  he  still 
enjoys  good  health,  and  it  is  hoped  that  he  will 
live  for  many  years  to  continue  the  good  which 
has  been  characteristic  of  his  life. 


CHARLES  W.  W  ILSOX. 

Charles  \\'.  Wilson,  editor  and  proprietor 
of  the  Tuscola  Review,  was  liorn  fourteen  miles 
west  of  Plainfield.  Indiana,  February  15,  1856, 
and  in  1865  located  in  Tuscola.  He  attended 
school  more  or  less  up  until  fourteen  years  of 
age.  In  1872  he  entered  the  office  of  the  Tus- 
cola True  Republican  as  oftice  boy.  The  paper 
was  owned  bv  Charles  Smith  and  was  Demo- 
cratic in  politics.  Later  he  entered  the  office 
of  the  Tuscola  dazette,  which  was  edited  by 
Hon.  Leander  B.  Fester,  now  of  Washington. 
Mr.  Wilson  remained  here  al)out  one  year  when 
he  went  to  the  Review,  then  owned  and  edited 
by  Converse  &  Park,  who  founded  the  paper 
julv  23,1875.  In  1876  he  went  on  the  printing 
force  where  he  remained  for  some  years,  d  m- 
verse&Park  were  succeeded  by  the  well-known 
writer.  Col.  Phecian,  who  was  the  editor  for  six 
months;  the  latter  was  known  as  one  of  the 
wittiest  writers  the  newspaper  fraternity  af- 
forded. During  this  time  he  wrote  a  great  deal 
for  the  Inter-Ocean,  which  kept  him  away  a 
great  deal,  and  this  forced  Mr,  Wilson  to  take 


charge  of  the  editorial  tripod.  Howard  was 
succeeded  l)v  Major  Asa  Miller,  who  managed 
the  paper  up  to  December,  1892,  when  he  sold 
out  t(_)  Charles  W.  Wilson,  who  reconstructed 
the  plant  throughout,  buying  new  machinery, 
and  to-day  issues  every  Friday  one  of  the  new- 
siest, wittiest  and  cleanest  county  newspapers 
published  east,  west,  north  or  south.  Mr.  Wil- 
son has  a  paid  circulation  of  three  thousand 
and  there  is  little  doubt  but  what  bis  pajier  is 
read  by  twelve  thousand  people  every  week. 
His  career  as  a  newsiia])er  man  has  been  re- 
markable; commencing  as  the  "editor's  de\'il," 
he  has  become  recognizefl  as  an  able  writer  and 
all-round  newspaper  man.  Within  a  year  after 
be  became  proprietor  the  circulationof  thepaper 
became  double.  As  to  the  newspaper  history 
of  Tuscola,  college  Ijred  men  ha\e  come  and 
gone,  whci  were  writers  on  different  jiapers  of 
the  cit}',  but  ]\Ir.  Wilson,  who  has  educated 
himself,  remains,  and  it  is  a  fact  that  might  be 
mentioned,  that  his  paper,  while  Democratic,  is 
jiopular  among  the  Republicans, 

Mr.  Wilson  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Christina  Cosier,  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Isaac  Cosier,  wlni  was  for  twent\'  years  presi- 
dent of  the  Douglas  LVmntv  Fair. 


EMMOR  \\'.  JEFFERS. 

Enimor  W.  Jeffers,  the  present  circuit  clerk 
of  Douglas  couniy,  wIk.)  has  occui)ied'  that 
office  since  February  3.  1899.  was  born  in 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  November  19.  1861, 
He  is  a  son  of  John  C.  and  Elizabeth  ( Mc- 
Kinney)  Jefifers,  both  natives  of  Ohio,  who  re- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


249 


iiKAt'd  t(j  Dmiglas  count)'  and  settled  in  Ca- 
mari;i)  t(_)\vnslii])  almut  icS()4.  His  niotiier  died 
in  December.  iS<;3,  while  his  father  resides  in 
Bl(.)omington.  lUinois.  (  For  further  ancestry 
of  tlie  Jeffers  family  see  sketch  of  George  C. 
Jeffers,  of  Caniarguj.  James  McKinney,  our 
subject's  maternal  grandfather,  was  a  native 
of  Ohio. 

In  1889  E.  W.  JetTers  was  married  to  Miss 
Carrie  F.  Hill,  a  daughter  of  ThdUias  W.  and 
Rebecca  (  L'ntlerwood  )  Hill,  and  as  a  result  of 
this  union  they  have  two  children  ;  \'illa  and 
Beulah. 

Since  )8<;o  Mr.  Jeffei's  has  been  secretary 
and  kee]>er  of  records  and  seal  of  the  Knights 
ot   I'ythias  lodge  of  Tuscola,  and  is  alsd  ])rouii- 


nent  in  se\eral  other  fraternal  orders.  He  was 
nominated  wilhnut  o]i|)(  isitii  m  at  the  Re])ril!>- 
lican  ]irimaries  held  .March  -'4.  hjck),  fur  the 
same  office  he  now  occn]iics. 

The  Tuscola  Journal   of   Alarch    11.    i8(;i>, 
says  of  Mr.  Jeti'ers :    ""Jn  selecting  Emnior  W. 


Jeffers  as  their  candidate  for  the  oliice  of  cir- 
cuit clerk  the  Rei)ublican  representati\es  in  con- 
\cntion  Iiax'e  soiced  the  sentiment  of  the  peo- 
])le.  Mr.  JefTers  is  of  that  class  of  young  Re- 
publicans who  are  enthusiastic  in  their  su])- 
port  of  their  ])arty.  and  while  in  the  otVice  with 
the  late  Major  l)aniel  .\.  C'ouoxer  as  deputw 
lie  became  thoroughly  familiar  with  e\er\- 
detail  of  the  work  ;md  is  in  e\'erv  way  par- 
ticularly i|ualified  to  fill  the  position  with  credit 
to  himself  and  party  Ijesitlcs  gi\'ing  the  ])eople 
entire  satisfaction. 

"He  is  a  nati\e  of  this  grand  state.  ha\-- 
ing  been  born  in  Pike  count}-  on  the  Kjth  dav 
of  November.  1861.  and  about  1S04  he  came 
to  this  county  with  his  parents  and  was  cm- 
])lo_\cd  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  reached 
his  majority  when  he  started  out  for  him- 
self, working  by  the  month  for  twn  _\ears  for 
Nicholas  Cooley.  after  which  he  secured  a 
business  education,  attentling  nights  at  the 
Terre  1  laute  Business  College.  He  graduated 
iroin  that  institution  ;md  went  to  IJlm  pinington, 
Illinois,  where  he  set'ured  a  good  position  in  a 
grocery  store  where  he  was  employed  nearly 
two  years,  when  he  came  to  1  uscola  and  ac- 
ceiited  a  similar  position  with  Joseph  |.  Knox, 
lonnerl)  of  this  cily.  who  was  succeeded  liy 
\'.  M.  Wardall  M  (  o.  lie  remained  with  this 
linn  until  he  opened  u])  a  gi'ocer\-  business  in 
company  with  J.  \\  Kerker  in  the  building  on 
Sale  street,  now  occupied  b\  T.  |.  ,Mid\ee. 
On  account  of  failing  health  he  was  c<  impelled 
to  give  up  the  store  ;ind  enter  the  real  estate 
Inisiness,  which  he  followed  with  success  until 
January  1,  1897.  wbcn  he  was  appointed  dep- 
uty circuit  clerk  by  the  late  Major  Daniel  A. 
("onovcr.  which  |)osition  he  filled  with  credit 
and  honor. 


!50 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


"I'lKiii  the  death  nf  Mr.  (."niioNcr  lie  was 
aiiixiiiUeil  pniteinpore  circuit  clerk  hy  the 
judges  of  this  district,  and  he  will  certainly  l)e 
elected  to  suc.ceed  himself,  and  till  out  the  un- 
expired term  of  the  late  lamented  Major  Con- 
over." 


\V.  L.  WATSON. 


W.  L.  Watson  was  horn  in  Vermilion  coun- 
ty, Jllinois,  on  the  22d  of  Decemher,  1837.  His 
father  was  William  D.  \\'atson,  in  his  early  life 
an  itinerant  Methodist  preacher  who  traveled 
extensively  through  Indiana,  having  been  born 
in  the  neighl)orhood  of  Vincennes,  and  in  Foun- 
tain county,  of  that  state,  married  Mary  Low. 
His  health  llnally  failed  him,  and  coming  to 
Illinois,  he  located  aljove  Georgetown  in  Ver- 
milion county.  William  Watson,  the  grand- 
father, \\'as  born  in  Kentucky,  and  when  a 
young  man  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Vincennes, 
Indiana. 

W.  L.  was  the  oldest  son  and  second  child 
of  the  family.  His  father  came  to  Douglas 
county,  then  Coles,  in  183c;.  and  located  first  on 
Drushy  Fork,  a  short  dist.ince  west  of  Newman. 
.\fter  a  residence  here  of  a  year  or  two  he 
mo\ed  to  Camargo,  and  afterward  to  section 
35,  in  township  16,  range  9,  where  he  resided 
till  his  death,  which  occurred  in  October,  1858. 
His  wife  sm"\'ived  him  till  April,  1866.  They 
had  nine  children.  W.  L.  Watson  was  between 
four  and  five  years  oU\  when  his  father  located 
southeast  of  Camargo.  At  this  latter  place  he 
m.'iinly  recei\'ed  his  education,  partly  under  the 
instruction  nf  his  father,  who  taught  school  at 
Camargo  and   was  one  of  iiis  first   teachers. 


The  old  log  school  house  stood  about  one  hun- 
dred yards  north  of  .\lonzo  Lion's  store,  on 
the  road  leading  north  from  Camargo.  In 
the  winter  of  1849-50,  and  also  1853-54.  he 
attended  the  Georgetown  Academy,  in  Vermil- 
ion county,  then  having  the  best  reputation  of 
any  school  of  learning  in  this  part  of  the  state. 
At  the  death  of  his  father  in  1858,  Mr.  Wat- 
son, as  the  oldest  son,  took  charge  of  the  farm 
and  managed  it  in  the  interests  of  the  family 
till  1862. 

The  war  of  the  Rebellion  at  this  time  had 
broken  out,  and  in  February,  1862,  Mr.  Wat- 
son volunteered.  He  preferred  the  cavalry 
service  and  being  unable  to  enlist  in  an  Illinois 
cavalry  regiment,  he  went  to  St.  Louis  and  en- 
listed in  the  Fifth  Missouri  Cavalry  for  three 
years.  He  was  with  the  Fifth  Missouri  two  years 
and  a  half,  during  which  time  he  was  mostly 
in  the  southern  part  of  Missouri.  In  August, 
1864,  he  re-enlisted  in  the  Thirteenth  Missouri 
Cavalry,  and  served  to  January,  1866.  He  was 
a  non-commissioned  officer.  At  the  close  of 
the  \var  his  regiment  was  sent  out  on  the 
])lains  to  fight  the  Indians.  While  in  Missouri 
he  was  in  the  campaign  against  Price,  and  in 
the  l)attles  of  Independence  and  Fort  Scott. 
,\fter  receiving  his  discharge  in  January,  1866, 
he  came  home  and  commenced  fartning  on  the 
old  homestead. 


JOHN  C.  HOSTETLER. 

John  C.  Hostetler,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
agricultur.al  implement  business,  including 
Iniggies  and  wagons,  and  recently  elected 
alderman  from  the  third  ward  in  Tusci-)la,  w'as 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


251 


born  in  Douglas  county,  August  27,  1866, 
and  is  a  son  of  D.  C.  and  L.  M.  Hostetler, 
natives  of  Indiana.  The  father  settled  in 
Bowdre  township  some  time  in  the  "fifties, 
and  died  in  Tuscola,  in  1895,  in  the  sixty- 
fourth  year  of  his  age.  His  mother  is  still 
living.  Mr.  Hostetler  was  married  in  1889 
to  Miss  Laura  A.,  daughter  nf  11.  C.  Jones, 
whose  sketch  is  found  on  another  page. 
They  have  one  child,  Leon. 

Mr.  Hostetler  operated  a  planing  anil  re- 
pair shop  previous  to  entering  into  his  present 
business,  which  he  sold  out  in  i8y6.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the 
Order  of  Red  Men,  and  is  one  of  the  popular 
and  promising  young  business  men  of  Tus- 
cola. 


JOHN  L.  GOLL. 

John  L.  Goff  served  as  sheriff  of  Douglas 
county  from  1887  to  1891,  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  in  189-',  he  held  the  office  of  super- 
visor. He  was  married  to  Miss  Josie  R.  Rice, 
a  daughter  of  Martin  Rice,  deceased,  of  Ca- 
margo  (see  sketch).  Mrs.  Goff  owns  a  half 
section  of  land,  part  of  which  is  in  Camargo  and 
a  part  in  Tuscola  townships.  She  resides  in 
Tuscola. 


in  Areola  township,  was  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  Kentucky,  .\pril  13.  1856,  and  is  a  son 
of  Michael  Cradihck  and  Catherine  (Welch) 
Craddick,  who  were  natives  of  Ireland.  His 
father  emigrated  from  Kentucky  to  Areola 
town.ship  1869  and  died  in  1890.  His  mother 
died  in  1896.  and  they  are  l)oth  buried  in  the 
Areola  cemetery.  Mr.  Craddick's  farm  con- 
tains one  hundred  and  fourteen  acres  of  land. 
He  has  never  been  married.  Socially  he  is 
very  popular  and  in  business  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial men  of  the  township. 


,  GEORGE  W.  HENSON. 

George  Warren  Henson,  deceased,  was  born 
Septeml)er  5,  i8_'i,  at  Cynthiana,  Kentucky. 
He  was  a  son  of  Gideon  and  Nancy  (Shumate) 


THOMAS  CRADDICK. 

Henson.     He  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  six 

Thomas    Craddick.  a    typical     Kentuckian      children  and  of  Scotch-Cierman  descent.    With 
and  a  self-made  man,  now  residing  on  his  farm      his  father's  family  he  left  the  state  of  his  na- 


252 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


ti\ity  in  1834  and  emigrated  to  Vermilion  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  and  there  remained  until  1844,  when 
he  came  into  the  section  uf  cimntry  which  is 
now  Douglas  county  and  immediately  began 
the  imprinement  of  a  farm. 

He  married  .Miss  Eliza  P.  Sargent,  a  native 
of  Illinr)is.  To  tlu's  union  were  horn  eleven 
children,  six  of  whom  are  li\ing,  two  son.s  and 
four  daughters. 

The  county  of  Douglas,  hy  the  death  of 
Mr.  Henson,  I(.)st  one  of  its  most  prominent 
citizens  and  honorable  men.  Politicallv  he  was 
a  Democrat.  He  was  a  Mason,  a  pioneer  of  the 
county,  and  a  man  |)ossessing  a  spirit  uf  charity 
and  enterprise.  His  death  nccurrcd  May  9, 
1881,  at  his  residence  near  Camargo,  Illinois. 


FRANK  A\'.  HA.MMETT. 

Frank  W.  Hammetl,  cashier  nf  the  First 
National  Bank  ni  Tusc(Ma,  and  ime  of  the 
county's  voung  men  df  recngnized  ability,  was 
born  (in  a  f.arm  in  Cauiargd  tnwnship,  Douglas 
county,  Illinois,  h'ebruary  i_>.  iSr,_>.  (See 
sketch  of  his  father,  James  K.  llammett.) 
Mr.  1  l;imniett  grew  t(i  ni;uilnio<l  cm  his  father's 
larni  and  was  princip.illy  educatetl  in  the  L'ni- 
versity  of  Illinois.  For  some  years  after  leav- 
ing college  he  was  engaged  in  tlie  manufacture 
of  tiling  at  Camargo  and  Long  View.  In 
March,  1891.  he  accepted  the  position  of  book- 
keeper in  the  I-'irst  National  Bank  of  Tuscola, 
and  was  promoted  to  cashier  of  the  same  bank 
in  .August,  1898. 

He  is  a  Knight  Templar  in  Masonry ;  is 


a  member  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  prom- 
inent families  in  the  county,  and  will  undoubt- 
edly make  his  mark  in  the  business  world.  He 
owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in 
N'ewman  township. 


W.  H.  HAXX'OCK. 


W.  H.  Hancock,  who  is  one  of  the  most 
successful  broom-corn  brokers  and  business 
men  of  Tuscola,  was  born  in  Chicago,  March 
2t).  1864,  and  is  a  son  of  W.  S.  and  Sarah 
(Bell)  Hancock.  His  father  was  born  in  Ox- 
ford, Ohio,  and  his  mother  in  Miltlintown, 
I'ennsylvania.  His  father  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  Chicago.  \V.  H.  Hancock  was 
raised  to  manhood  in  Chicago  and  educated  in 
the  Cook  county  normal  scIkmiI.  His  first 
position  of  any  imi)ortance  was  that  of  con- 
ductor on  the  Pullman  car  lines,  and  he  con- 
tinued as  such  for  seven  years,  running  over 
thirty-six  ditferent  railroads.  For  seven  years 
lie  was  engaged  in  the  broom-corn  business 
with  his  father  in  Chicago. 

In  j.inuary,  i8()5,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Tillic  ISrogan,  a  highly  accomplished  vtnmg 
lady  of  Muscatine,  Iowa.  They  ha\e  two 
children,  John  Henry  and  May. 

In  1899  1^^  associated  himself  in  jiartner- 
ship  with  \V.  .\very  Howard  (a  notice  of 
whom  is  found  elsewhere)  in  the  broom-corn 
brokerage  business  with  their  office  in  Tus- 
cola. The  firm  is  one  of  the  most  active  and 
responsil)le  engaged  in  the  business.  During 
the  last  vear  thev  handled  about  fifteen  hun- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


253 


(Ireil  lims  nt  lu'Dcim  corn.  lie  and  liis  w\ic 
sluiul  lii.t;"li  in  tlie  sucial  (.■irrles  ol  Tiisciila. 
where  ihev  expect  In  make  their  future  hniiie. 


WILLIAM  A.  W  ISI'ALW. 

Wilhani  A.  Wiseman,  a  well  kiKiwn  physi- 
cian i)t  Camart;!!,  where  he  has  heen  in  success- 
tiil  practice  for  se\'eral  years,  was  hor-ii  at 
WatcrliKi,  Lawrence  CDiintw  (  )hi(),  January  1, 
1S53,  anil  is  a  son  nf  Aimer  ami  Martha  J. 
(  Irwin  )  Wiseman.  I  lis  f.ather  was  a  native  i>t 
\'ir,i^ini;i  and  his  mnther  nt'  (  )hiu.  Isa.ac  Wise- 
man's yrandfather  was  alsw  Ixuai  in  \'irL;inia 
and  his  maternal  qrand  lather,  (ienrj^e  Irwin, 
was  Imrn   in    \  ir<;ini;i. 

I  )r.  Wiseman  w;is  reareil  in  his  iiati\e  Cdiin 
t}',  where  he  .attended  the  puhlic  schmls  and 
sul)se(|uently,  in  1S7X,  hecame  a  student  at  l)e- 
Pauw  L'ni\-ersit_\-.  where  he  purstie<l  a  rei^ular 
college  course  for  three  years  and  a  half.  In 
1882  he  ccimmenced  the  study  of  medicine  in 
the  cjffice  of  Dr.  C.  I'atterson  and  in  1NS3  went 
to  JetYer.son  Medical  College,  I'hiladelphia,  and 
was  graduated  therefrom  in  the  class  of  j88'). 
\\  hile  at  Philadelphia  he  took  s]K'cial  courses  in 
skin  diseases  and  also  in  g\-necology  and  gaineil 
practical  experience  at  the  l'hila<lelphia  L}'ing- 
in  Hospital.  In  the  sjiring  of  jSSO  he  located 
at  Camargo  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
and  here  he  has  huilt  up  a  successful  ])r;ictice. 

In  political  oi)inion  the  Doctor  is  a  con- 
sistent I'rohihitionist,  and  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  .and  C'ourt  of  Honor. 
In  1S75  he  was  m.arried  to  .Miss  l''.nim;i  C.  Car- 
rel' of  Dennis'.n,  ( )hio.  The}-  h;i\e  three  chil- 
tlren:     l-Aa  C.  (  )mer  1).  and  .\led;i  .\. 


IRA  .\1.  ML'LLIKI'.X. 

Ira  M.  Mullikeu,  junior  niemher  (if  the  well 
known  linn  of  llarr  i!v  .\lulhken  :Mid  one  of  the 
rising  young  husiness  men  of  .Xewnian,  was 
liorn  in  ('h.nmp.iign  couiUw  Illinois,  Decem- 
ler  17,  iSf)3.  His  f.ather,  James  W.  .Mulli- 
keu, was  .a  native  of  Johnson  county,  ludian.a. 


,and  removed  to  (  h,im]iaigu  count  v  in  ;iliont 
|S3_'.  His  mother,  Calhernie,  w.is  ,1  il.iughler 
o!  Rev.  Saninel  \\  Miller,  who  \\:is  hi  irn  111 
1X15,  and  ;it  present  ix-sides  in  Areola.  (  ,^ee 
sketch  of  W  .  1  1.  Hush,  of  1  lindshoro.  )  In 
ah(.ut  iSo.S  the  f.ither  of  I.  .\l.  Mnlliken  re- 
moved to  ,a  farm  near  I  lindshoro,  v\  here  the 
l.'itter  remained  until  he  .arrived  ;it  the  ,'ige  of 
twentv-oue  vears,  when  he  went  to  .Vrcol.a  to 
reside,  .and  there  worked  at  the  c;ii|)eiiter's 
trade.  He  attended  Lee's  academy  at  l.ox.a, 
Illinois,  for  six  months,  ilu-n  snlise(|uentlv  .at- 
tended tin-  emhalining  colli'm'  :ii  Indianapolis, 
kroiii    l8<>_^  to  June   1,    iSijO,  he  w.i>  .1  nieiuher 


254 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


of  the  undertaking;-  linn  i)f  Alike,  Miller  iH: 
Co.,  at  Charleston,  Illinois.  In  the  latter  year 
he  removed  to  Newman  to  accept  a  partnership 
with  James  Barr  (see  sketch). 

On  Septemher  4.  1893,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Ida  A.,  a  daughter  of  John  W.  .\llison, 
of  jVrcola.  Tliey  have  one  child,  a  daughter, 
Frances  Marie.  He  is  a  memlier  and  nohle 
grand  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  elder  in  the  Christian 


church,  and  superintendent  of  its  Sunday 
school.  He  is  also  chief  patriarch  of  the  1.  O. 
O.  F.  encampment;  memher  of  the  Alasonic 
fraternit_\\  ruid  clerk  of  the  school  hoard  of 
-Xewman.  The  lirm  of  Barr  &  Mullikin  own 
two  large  stores  in  Newman,  Mr.  Barr  super- 
intending the  fttrniture  and  undertaking  estah- 
lishment  on  the  west  side  of  the  square,  and 
Mr.  Mullikcn  manages  the  hardware  and  tin 
shop  and  does  the  undertaking  work  on  the 
north  side.  They  carry  a  large  stock  and  do 
(|uite  an  cxtcnsi\-e  husincss,  drawing  trade  fm" 
miles  around  them. 


ALBERT  \Y.  \V.\LL.\CE. 

.Mbert  W.  Wallace  is  president  of  the  Firsv 
National  Bank  of  Tuscola,  one  of  the  leading 
hanking  institutions  of  central  Illinois.  The 
hirst  National  P>ank  was  organized  in  Novem- 
lier,  J 869,  with  a  paid  up  capital  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirteen  thousand  dollars.  Its  first 
president  was  William  P.  Cannon  (a  brother 
of  Congressman  J.  G.  Cannon)  and  W.  H. 
Lamh  was  the  first  cashier.  Mr.  Cannon  re- 
mained president  until  1872,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Henry  T.  Caraway,  who  remained 
])resident  up  to  January  i,  1898,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Mr.  Wallace.  Mr.  Lamb  re- 
mained cashier  up  to  July  i,  i898.wdien  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  present  cashier,  F.  H.  Ham- 
mett.  The  bank  was  reorganized  in  tj\e  fall  of 
iS()0  and  the  ca])ital  stock  reduced  to  sixty 
thousand  dcillars.  The  directors  of  this  bank 
are  among  the  wealthiest  men  of  the  county. 

.\.  \\'.  Wallace,  who  has  jjeen  connected 
with  the  I'^irst  National  Bank  for  vcars,  is  a  son 
of  Andrew  (i.  W'.allace,  whose  death  occurred 
iri  July,  1878.  The  ancestry  of  the  Wallace 
family  is  traced  back  to  Scotland.  Andrew 
G.'s  grandfather  emigrated  from  Scotland  to 
Ireland,  and  from  there  to  .America,  settling 
in  Pennsylvania  near  wdiere  the  three  states 
of  Virginia,  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  came 
together.  He  had  five  sons,  three  of  whom 
mo\ed  away  from  their  Pennsvhania  home. 
( )ne  of  these  was  William  Wallace,  the  y<iung- 
est  child,  who  came  to  Hardin  county,  Ken- 
tucky, and  from  there  removed  t(T  Davis  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  where  Andrew  G.  Wallace  was 
born  M.arch  31,  18J4.  He  was  the  second  child 
by  his  father's  .second  wife,  wdiose  maiden  name 
was  Vashti  Winkler.     When  two  vears  old  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  255 


father  moved  fnnii  Davis  CDiinty  to  X'ennilliMii  he  said  lo  have  l)ecn  the  i)rime  nmver  in  the 

county,  IiKhana,  and  tiiere  settled  down  as  a  project.     The  petition  presented  to  tlie  Lej^'is- 

fanner.     After  a  residence  of  al)out  ten  years,  lalure  (hiring-  the  session  of    iS^.S-c),   in  yain- 

tlie   family,   in    1S33   or    1S34.   came   to   Coles  ins;-  which  the  hill  was  passed  ort^anizint;-  the 

county,   and     located    on     (iresey    creek,    just  county,   was  drawn   np  hy  Mr.   Wallace,      lie 

south  of  the  line  which  now  divides  l)ou!;ias  suhse(|uently  used  all  his  inlluence  to  secure  a 

from   Coles  county.     The  country   was  thinly  fa\orable  vote,  on  the  question  hein,!:;-  snhmit- 

settled  hoth  in  Vermilicin  and  Coles  counties,  ted  to  the  people  of  Coles  county.     In  the  sprin.t;: 

where  Mr.  Wallace's  Iwyhood  was  spent,  and  of  185S  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  pence  of 

hut  .scanty  adv;uitai;-es  were  afforded   for  oh-  Tuscola,  the  hrst  ever  elected  in  the  town.     In 

t.-iiuint;-  anything'  like  a  o-iH,d  education.      He  the  year  of    1859  he  was  elected   lirst   circuit 

was  compelled  to  rely  mainly  on  his  own  re-  clerk  of  the  county.     To  this  position  lie  was 

.sources,  but  his  quick  perceptive  faculties  and  re-elected  in   i8r)0,  aRain  in   1864  and  asain  in 

industry  enabled  him  to  pick  up  a  larqe  amount  1808,  thus  serving'  lour  consecutive  terms,  per- 

of    inforni;itiou,    thus    fitting   him.self    for    the  forniiug   the   duties   of   the   oflicc   to   his   own 

duties  of  his  after  life.      In    1841    the    family  credit  and   the  satisfaction  of  the  i)eople.      In 

moved  north,  in  wdiat  is  now  Douglas  county,  June,    1859.  he  was  rqipointed  master  in  cliaii- 

and  kept  the  widely  known  "Wallace  stand,"  eery,  a  jiosition  which  he  still  holds.     I'or  the 

west  of  Hickory  Grove,  which  received  its  n;inie  hist  twelve  years  Mr.  W;dl;ice  has  been  exlen- 

froiu  the  faiuily.     In  1842  his  f;ither  died.     Mr.  si\ely  eng;iged  in  the  niouey  loaning  ;ind   real 

Wallace  was  then  in  his  eighteenth  year,  and  est;ite  business.     [  ie  possesses  a  complete  set  id 

the  charge  of  the   f.amily   fell   upon    him,    his  abstracts  and  h;is  e\ery  facility  for  the  tr;ins- 

older  brother  having  previously  left  home.     He  action  of  business  in   that   line.      Mr.    \\;ill;ice 

remained  on  the  liomestead  and   continued  to  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Tuscola  and  one  ol 

f.arm  until    1854.     On  Xovember  22,   T845.  he  the  founders  of  the  town.   With  one  exception 

luarried   Harriet   Iv    lUisliy,  a  native  of  (3hio,  he  is  the  oldest  resident,     lie  was  the  lirst  per- 

whose  family  had  come  to  Illinois  in  i83f).     .At  smi  in  the  town  who  could  ?,ing  ;i  religious  song, 

this  time  his  younger  l)rothers  ;uid  sisters  were  the  other   iiili;ibitants  in   some   w;iy   being  dc 

grown  u])  ;ind  were  .able  to  take  care  of  theiu-  licient  in  their  musical  ac<|nircinciits.     Mr.  Wab 

selves.     I  lis  mother  died  in  1848.     In  1854  Mr.  lace  and   his   wife,   with    Mr.   Thomas   \\'oo<ly 

\\\'illace  removed  to  Camargo  ami  began  busi-  ;iiid  bis  wife,  org.anized  the  .Melliodist  church 

ness  there  as  a  cattle  dealer.     After  a  residence  of   Tuscola,   of   which   he   was   ;i    laitblul   and 

of  four  vears  there  he  rcnioNcd  to  Tuscol.a,  then  consistent  member  and   lor  a  long  |)eriod  class 

just  springing  into  existence,  the  fourth  lionse  leader.      To    his    exertions    w.as    largely   due 

indeed  having  been  built  by  Air.  W;illace  him-  the  building  of  the  present  church  edihcc.     I'or 

self.     Here  he  kept  a  hotel  for  about  two  years.  twentv-five  ve.ars  in  all  .Mr.  Wallace  served  the 

I'roni  the  inception  of  the  pl;ui  of   forming  a  jieople  in  \'arious  cap;icities — sufticient  evidence 

new   county   out   id"   the   north   of   Coles,    .Mr.  of  his  popul.irit\- ami  the  coiilidence  reposed  in 

Wallace  was  deeply  iuteroted  in  it,  and  he  may  l.ini    as    an    honest    and   faithful  oflicer.      He 


256 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


I'.ad  ten  cliildrcn.  all  of  wIkhii  are  lix'insr.  In 
liis  yiiunt^er  ilays  he  was  a  Whig'.  On  the  dis- 
sokition  of  thai  pai-t)-  he  hecanie  a  Republican, 
and  was  as  steadfast  in  his  adherence  to 
the  i)rinciples  of  that  i):irty  as  he  was  en- 
thusiastic in  its  supiiort.  During  the  war  he 
was  active  and  liheral  in  the  su])i)ort  of  the 
Union  cause,  sacrificing  hoth  time  and  money. 
l'"ew  men  were  more  closely  associated  with  the 
progress  of  the  county,  and  few  were  hetter 
citizens. 


HENRY  C.  JONES. 

Henry  Clay  Jones,  the  aft'ahle  and  genial 
treasurer  of  Douglas  county,  was  horn  in 
Franklin  county,  Indiana,  December  2,  1842, 
a  son  of  Cabin  and  Hannah  (Case)  Jones.  He 
was  reared  to  manhooil  in  his  native  county, 
and  in  iSf)0  remo\-ed  to  Douglas  county.  In 
1862  he  joined  Company  K.  Se\'enty-ninth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  and  served  as  a  ])rivate  soldier 
in  the  Civil  war  until  June  12,  1865,  when  he 
was  honorably  discharged  at  Nashville,  Tennes- 
see. He  was  wounded  in  the  leg  in  the  battle 
of  Liberty  Ca]).  which  prevented  him  from 
keeping  up  with  his  regiment  until  the  battle 
of  Missionary  Ridge,  in  which  he  ])articipated. 
During  the  time  between  the  battles  of  Liberty 
(iap  and  Missionary  Ridge  he  caught  cold  in 
the  wound  and  was  continetl  in  the  hosiiital 
ft)r  three  months.  After  his  release  he  rejoined 
his  regiment  and  was  with  it  in  every  tight  un- 
til the  close.  .Vfter  the  war  Mr.  Joues  returned 
to  Douglas  county  and  engaged  in  farming, 
at  which  he  continued  for  six  years,  when  he 
removeil  to  Arthur  and  Ixnight  grain.    He  then 


returned  to  his  farm  where  he  remained  until 
i8()4,  when  he  became  the  deputy  under  his 
half-brother,  James  Jones  (see  sketch),  who 
was  then  serving  as  county  treasurer.  He  con- 
tinued in  this  positiou  during  the  regidar  term 
of  four  years.  In  the  fall  of  i8y8  he  was 
elected  to  this  office,  when  his  half-brother, 
James,  became  deputy  treasurer. 

On  February  25.  1866,  Mr.  Jones  married 
Miss  Harriet  E.  York,  wlio  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Abner  York.  To  their 
marriage  were  born  three  daughters :  Eliza- 
beth, \\ife  of  R.  C.  Hostetter.  of  near  Marshall- 
town,  b)wa;  Laur;i,  who  is  the  wife  oi  John 
Hostetter,  a  brother  of  R.  C,  and  resides  in 
Tuscola,  and  Nettie.  Mrs.  Jones'  death  oc- 
ciu'red  in  181)7.  Mr.  Jones  is  a  mem])er  of  the 
( irand  Army  of  the  ke]niblic.  also  ;i  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  owns  a 
beautiful  farm  of  two  hundretl  and  fifteen  acres 
just  south  of  Tuscola.  As  an  official  and  an 
every  day  citizen  Mr.  Jones"  record  in  Douglas 
county  is  unimpeachable.  His  word  is  etfual 
to  his  b(.)nd,  which  can  l.)e  said  of  few,  in  this 
ruml:)ling,  blundering  age  of  the  almighty 
dollar. 


JAMES  A.  WILLIAMS. 

lames  ,\.  Williams,  who  lias  won  his  own 
way  in  the  world  and  reached  a  degree  of  suc- 
cess J)eyond  the  average  of  men  at  his  age,  was 
born  in  Monongahela  City,  Washington  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  August  i,  1862.  He  is  a  son 
of  John  S.  and  Elizabeth  (  \'an  Vorhis),  na- 
tives of  the  same  county.  James  Williams  wed 
ded   Nancy  Yan  Allen  and  they  were  among 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  257 

the  carlv  sclllers  nf  W'asliins^'ti  111  county,  the  tucky,  Scpteinhcr  ir,  ]X_>-,  and  is  a  son  of 
latter  having;'  lieen  liorn  in  .\lk'i;licnv  county,  SaniucI  C.  ( iill,  who  was  a  son  of  C 'a])l.  1"lioinas 
I 'cnnsyisania.  His  orandfaiher,  Aliram  \'an  (iih,  a  Rexohilionary  solih'cr  and  a  son  of  tlic 
Vorliis,  was  one  of  tlie  early  farmers  of  that  lri^h  waif  (see  history  of  the  (iill  family  in 
section  and  also  traded  in  stock  considerahly.  America,  liy  Thomas  V.  (iill).  Samuel  ('.  dill 
]  le  was  of  Holland  extraction.  •  was  l)oi-n  in  the  state  of  South  C';irolina  No- 
James  .\.  Williams  grew  to  manhood  on  ;i  \embcr  2 J.  1783,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm, 
farm  .and  ne\er  attended  school  after  he  reached  lie  was  weilded  to  Sarah  Malone,  a  daughter 
the  age  of  thirteen  years;  at  that  age  his  mother  oi  Jonathan  and  Alary  IMalone,  the  latter  of 
(Med  and  he  was  ihroAvn  upon  his  own  re-  whom  li\ed  to  he  ticarly  one  hundred  years 
sources.  In  about  1S85  he  decided  to  try  his  old.  The  family  came  from  Tennessee  and  set- 
fortunes  in  the  west,  and  after  arriving  in  I  Hi-  lied  in  Montgomery  county,  Kentucky,  later 
nois  settled  in  Tuscola  township,  where  he  he-  remo\ing  to  Boone  comity,  Indiana,  where  she 
came  a  farm  li;md  ;  at  this  he  continued  until  died.  Srmiuel  Ciill  and  wife  were  \'cry  poor, 
he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age.  By  industry  their  stock  of  goods  consisting  of  one  hay  pony, 
and  good  management  he  now  owns  two  Inm-  '"ic  dollar  in  money  and  a  feather  bed.  They 
(ired  and  forty  acres  of  well  impnned  land  in  ]>ack-ed  all  on  the  back  of  the  pony  and  settled 
Douglas  county,  for  which  he  has  been  offered  iii  I'.ath  county,  Kentucky.  1  le  built  a  mill,  one 
eighty-five  dollars  ;m  acre.  Subsei|uentlv  he  "I  t'lc  first  built  in  th;it  section.  lie  after- 
bought  the  store  at  West  Ridge,  which  he  sold  ward  entered  large  bodies  of  land  in  Putnam 
to  \V.  H.  Fry  in  December,  i8i)';.  I  fc  pre-  .Montgomery,  Boone  and  Henry  counties,  In- 
viously  owned  one  at  .\llerton,  which  he  bought  diana,  .'unl  also  entered  several  tracts  in  what 
in  1S94  and  sold  in  the  following  year.  i^  ii"\v  Douglas  county.  It  looks  ;is  if  this  old 
In  .September,  iSSO,  he  u.as  muted  in  m;n--  gentleman  loresaw  e\erytlnng  and  selecteil  the 
riage  to  Miss  .\my  .\lc(ir;ith,  and  they  have  < ''('»'c  (/<■/</ (Ti7«(- of  the  laud.  I  le  became  very 
three  children  :  Ida,  I'h.arles  ;md  ICarle.  Mr.  !>rosperons.  I'or  twenty-five  years  he  served  as 
W  illi.ams  resides  on  one  of  his  farms,  ,-i  short  .itistice  ol  the  peace,  ;md  by  \irlue  n\  (hat  office 
distance  south  of  West  Ridge,  where  he  gives  '"-'  was  .also  one  of  the  justices  of  the  P.-ilh 
his  pei'son.-d  super\ision  to  its  m.an.agement.  eounty  court.  His  first  wife  died  in  i.^..|7and 
lie  is  .a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  "'  1841;  he  married  b'.liz.-ibelh  Reed.  In  about 
(am.argo,  and  a  Re[(ublic;m  in  politics.  1845  S;imnel  ('.  (iill  s.ild  the  ol<l  null,  but  stip- 
ulated in  the  deed  that  the  pl.ace  should  ever  be 

known  as  (iill's  Mill. 

Shilo.ah  (iill  grew   to  mrmliood  on  the  farm 

SHTT  O  \IT  r'll  r  ''"''  ^^'''''''  -'dtending  school  Nolnntet'red  for  the 

Mexican    w.ar   and    was    soon    o|-iIcre<l    to    the 

Slnloah  (iill,   ;m   old    Mexican   solilier.  .and  fiont.      lie   w.as   in   the   r.anks  of   ('.a])t.    |,ames 

one  oMlie  pioneer  .settlers  in  I'.owdre  township.  living    ,ani|    ser\  ed    ibrongb    the    whole    war. 

w.as   born   at    (iill's    Mills,    lUith    conntv.    Ken-  h.andling   .a    musket    in    m;mv   .if   the   i)riuciii,al 

17                                                     ■  .11 


±s^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


batik's  nf  tliat  conflict.  He  was  in  the  ranks 
when  (ien.  Scott  marched  triumphantly  into 
the  city  of  Me.xicd,  and  after  the  treaty  of  jieace 
of  Hi(hilg-o,  (iua(hdi>u|)c.  he  returned  home  with 
liis  regiment  hy  way  of  the  (hilf  of  Me.xicn  t> 
New  Orleans. 

On  October  2.  1849.  Mr.  CM  married  Sarah 
Ann,  a  daughter  of  William  .\nderson,  of  Hath 
county,  Kentucky,  where  they  remained  until 
1S54.  when  they  emigrated  to  Douglas  county 
and  settled  im  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
where  he  nriw  lives,  and  which  was  deeded  to 
him  b\-  his  father;  he  has  since  added  two  hun- 
dred and  si.xty  acres  more.  His  wife  died  about 
1872.  His  second  wife  was  Eliza  Kensil.  Her 
death  occurred  in  1874,  and  he  was  again  mar- 
ried, September  i,  1875,  this  time  to  Mrs. 
Sarah  (IJodge)  Coots,  who  was  liorn  within 
six  miles  of  Hamilton,  Butler  county,  Ohio. 
The  hospitality  of  Mr.  Gill  and  his  wife  is  well 
known  and  highly  appreciated. 


HARRISON  GILL. 


It  is  fitting  that  in  tlic  biograiiliies  of  the 
earl}'  settlers  of  the  county  some  mention  should 
be  made  of  Harrison  (iitt,  who  entered  among 
the   lii'st    land   here  and   lixed   near   Camargo. 

The  grandfather  of  Mr.  (iill  was  born  in 
Ireland,  lie  came  to  .\merica  and  settled  m 
X'irgini.'i.  liis  son,  .Samuel  Cresswcll  Gill,  re- 
mo\ed  from  X'irginia  to  Kentucky  and  settled 
in  llath  county.  Here,  on  the  Licking  ri\-er,  he 
built  (  iill's  mills,  a  noted  point  in  th.al  i)art  of 
that     st.ate.      lie    married     Sarah     Malone.   bv 


whom  he  had  a  large  family  fi  children,  of 
^.\hom  Harrison  CJill  was  the  oldest,  born  in 
June.   1808. 

On  arri\-ing  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  lie 
found  himself  in  possesion  of  a  few  hundred 
dollars,  which  his  father  advised  him  to  invest 
in  western  lands.  He  accordingly  traveled  on 
horseback  to  Illinois,  first  to  his  uncle,  Thomas 
(jill,  in  Cumberland  county.  He  found  his 
uncle  busy  shingling  the  roof  of  a  house,  and 
he  told  young  Gill  if  he  would  help  him  finish 
the  shingling  he  would  go  with  him  to  Coles 
county  in  search  of  land.  The  first  point  above 
Charleston  where  they  found  any  one  living 
was  Major  Ashmore.  at  the  mouth  of  Brushy 
Fork.  North  of  that  he  came  to  an  Indian 
camp,  a  French  and  Indian  trailing  ])oint, 
where  Hugo,  or  Bridgeport,  now  is.  His  uncle 
mischievously  informed  the  Indians  that  Gill 
was  a  young  Kentuckian  wlnj  had  come  for  the 
|)urpose  of  taking  to  himself  an  Indian  wife. 
He  selected  his  land,  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  35  and  the  west  half  of  the  southwest 
quarter  of  the  same  section.  The  railroad  res- 
ervoir, cast  of  Camargo,  is  now  on  these  tracts. 
He  returned  innnediately  to  Palestine  and  made 
his  entry.  The  ])atents  for  the  land,  now  in 
the  possession  of  George  C.  Gill,  of  Camargo, 
were  signed  on  the  8th  of  March,  1830,  and 
bear  the  signature  of  Amlrew  Jackson.  This 
w;is  the  first  land  regularly  entered  in  the  ter- 
ritory comjxising  what  is  now  Douglas  count  v. 
Most  of  the  land  is  still  in  his  possession.  He 
returned  to  Kentucky  soon  after  selecting  the 
land. 

-At  the  age  of  twenty-eight  he  married 
Georgia  Ann  Landsd<iwne,  a  native  of  X'ir- 
ginia. 

Mr.  Gill  was  elected  slieritt  of  H.-itb  conn- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  259 


t_v,  Kentucky,  in  iSfio.  and  fmm  1862  to  iS(')4  council  and  was  chairman  of  llie  lioard.      Hi, 

was  jud,L;c  of  the  omnty  court.  niotlicr  died  in   iSf>j.  and  his  father  ihed  wlien 

In  early  life  Mr.  (nil  was  a  Wdiii;-.     On  the  Mr.  .Monahan  was  onlv  three  mouths  old.     I  Ic 

hreakiui^-  out  of  the  war  he  became  a    Union  is  one  of  the  old  landmarks  of  Areola,  ha\in"- 

man.     JNIainly  through  his  instrumentality  the  resideil  here  nearly  half  a  cenlui-y,  and  is  um- 

Twenty-fourth    Kentucky     Regiment    was    re-  \ersally  respected  hv  e\eryl)ody. 
cruited  at  the  Springs  in  i86j.     In  tlie  fall  of 
the  same  year  the  Springs  was  also  the  head- 
tniarters  of  Gen.  Nelson,  who  ordered  all  the 
home  guards  of   Kentucky   to   rendezvous  at 

that  point  for  the  defence  of  the  eastern  jjortion  W.\i  TFR  C   CI    \1  \' h' 
of  the  state. 

i'"rom  the  fall  of    \><(>^^   to  the   fall  of    iH(>()  Waller  t'.    I'.laine  was  gradn.aled    fic.ni  the 

Mr.  Gill   resided   near    Keinncky,   h.aving  heen  I'niversily    of    renns\lvama,    ;it     i 'hiladelphi.a, 

driven  from  his  home  on  arcouin  of  his  I'nion  in  the  class  of  \Xi)^.      lie  coinmencnvl  the  nr.ac- 

sentimenls.  lice  at   .Mnrdock.  where  he  reni;mie<l  nnlil  (  )c- 

toher,     i,Si;S,    when    he    f.  .rmed    a    partnershi]) 

with   Dr.   \\"illi;nn   \\.   Rice,  of  Tuscola. 

Dr.    illaine  is  a   native  of  Ghamp.iign,    llh- 

P.  II.  MON.MIAN.  "'>'-^'  •■""'  ^^■^i'^  '"'HI  June  _>,   i,S(,(..     lie  gr.adu- 

ated  from  the  (_'h<am])aigu  high  school,  an,!  after 

P.   H.   Monahan,   the   f.alher  of  the  hroom  f. -ur  years  attendance  was  gnidu.iled  fn,ni  the 

corn  interests  of  Areola  an.l  ,a  highly  esteemed  Gniversity  of   llhuois.  at   (.hamp.ugn,  on  cer- 

cilizcn  of  that  place,  was  horn  in  onnUy  Gal-  tilicate.      He   is  a   memher  of  the    Kni-hts  of 

way,  Ireland.  IThruary  uj.  1S37.     His  parents  Pythias,  memh.M-  , if  the  W Imen,  and  a  mem 

were  John  an,l  Mary  (  Shiel )  .Monahan,  natives  l,,,-  of  the  Douglas  C  ounly  .Medical  .Soc.ely. 
ol    the  .s.ame  county.      .\t    the  .age  of  thirteen 
years  _\oung  Monahan  enn'gr.ated  from  his  na 

live  Land   to  .\merica  and  settled   in    I'ittsfield,  " 

Mass.achnsetts.      Later   he  came   west   ;m<l    lo 

cated  in  .\rcol,i,  which  ,al  th.at  time  was  ;i  mere  o  ,  ,,,  -r,. 

11.11         MA,,                          .    ,  S.AML'EL  l',l\\l.V. 
nanilel.      I  lei'e   .\lr.    Alonah.an   was  married   to 

Hannah  (Juirk.  who  was  a  native  of  l),,nglas  Samuel   Lrviu.  retircl  h.anlware  merch.anl 

county  and  a  sister  of  the  late  J,,hn  (Juirk.  of  Large  laiM  owner.  aiM  a   resideiii   ,,f  Tuscola, 

Arcla.     T.  .Mr.  ,an,l  .Mrs.  Ahm.ahan  have  heen  was  horn  i„  Hillshoro.  jlighlaiid  cimtv.  Ohio' 

horn    f.mr  chiMreu:      M.arie.    i„.w    re.i.liug   in  ,„    |,S4_|.      |  I,.  ,vas  reare.l  and  educated   in   his 

.Yew    .Mexico:   Tli,,mas.   the  present    may,,r  of  native  county  an,l   in    iSf,;^  e.ame  west   ami   I,.- 

•^'■'■"^'•■''  ••""'    "'^'"■-^'  •""'    '^•'"'■-  ^-.-it^''!  in  Tuscola.      lie  and  a  y,,unger  l.roiher 

r.    H.    .Monahan    has    served    in    the    town  were    a.ss,,ci;iled    111    hiisiness    n.geiher    up    to 


26o 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


1S93,  wlien  lie  rctircil.  He  owns  live  hundred 
;iiid  sixtv  acres  of  Iruid  lliat  extends  up  to  tlie 
ci IV]  11  prate  limits  nt  Tuscola. 

In  1S71  Mr.  Iu-\in  was  united  in  marr'aye 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  P)eaeh,  who  was  horn  on 
Stateu  Island.  She  died  in  1894.  To  their 
marriage  were  l)orn  two  children  :  ['earl,  wlio 
is  the  wife  of  C.  S.  W'ardall.  The  other  daugh- 
ter is  in  college. 

Samuel  Er\-in  is  a  son  of  William  1'.  F.rx'in, 
now  deceased.  The  ancestry  oi  the  lu"\ins  is 
traced  back  to  the  great-grandfather  of  Samuel. 
Thomas  Rr\-in,  a  natix'e  of  Ireland  ;nid  member 
of  the  I'rcsbyterian  church,  who  was  by  <iccu- 
])ation  a  bleacher  of  linen.  He  was  a  man  of 
means,  emigrated  to  this  coinitry  in  1771,  and 
purchased  a  farm  in  Chester  county,  I'ennsyl- 
vania.  residing  there  until  bis  death.  His  wife 
was  a  daughter  of  the  Scottish  bouse  of  Mon- 
teith,  which  aided  the  mission  of  William  Wal- 
lace so  nobly  and  espoused  the  cause  of  Bruce. 
jurad,  the  father  of  William  P..  Er\in,  was 
born  in  173S  and  was  thirteen  years  old  when 
his  i)arents  came  to  .America.  He  was  a  wit- 
ness to  many  of  the  e.xciting  incidents  of  the 
Revolutionary  war.  His  education  was  limited 
and  early  in  life  be  learned  the  hatter's  trade 
and  went  to  Rockingham  county,  Virginia. 
Here  he  followed  his  trade  until  1813,  when  he 
remo\ed  to  Huntingdon  county,  Pennsylvania, 
remaining  there  two  years.  He  then  emigrated 
to  Plighland  county,  Ohio,  and  was  there  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred at  the  ripe  old  age  of  one  hundred  and 
six  years.  His  wife.  Sallie  Herron,  of  JLarri- 
sonbnrg,  \'irginia,  was  born  Juh'  4,  1  77C).  Dec- 
laration of  Independence  d;i\-.  (  )f  this  union 
there  was  a  family  of  nine  children,  William 
!!.  being  the  second,      lie  w;is  born   December 


1 ,  1806,  in  Rockingham,  Virginia,  at  nine  years 
of  age  removed  to  Highland  county,  Ohio,  and 
in  i8()5  came  to  Tuscola,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred. 

Samuel  Ervin  during  bis  thirty-fi\-e  years 
residence  in  Douglas  county  has  witnessed  the 
wonderful  transformation  that  has  taken  place, 
making  this  county  one  of  the  best  in  the  com- 
monwealth, and  he  has  contributed  his  share  to 
its  improvement  and  development.  His  laud- 
able business  career  has  gained  him  the  con- 
lidence  of  all  with  whom  be  has  come  in  con^ 
tact,  either  in  a  liusiness  or  social  way,  and  his 
friends  throughout  the  comity  are  many. 


JAMES  L.  REAT,  M.  D. 

y.^mes  Lee  Rent,  1\1.  D.,  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished physicians  and  surgeons  of  Illinois, 
and  who  h;is  lieen  long  and  honorably  con- 
nected with  the  professional  and  industrial  in- 
terests of  Douglas  county,  was  born  in  l-'airfield 
county.  Ohio,  January  26,  1824.  The  Reat  an- 
cestors are  traced  back  to  Scotl.'nid,  where  the 
name  was  pronounced  in  two  syllables,  with  the 
accent  on  the  last.  Two  lirotbers  emigrated 
to  this  country  during  the  war  of  the  Re\olu- 
tion,  one  of  whom  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
rebels,  the  term  by  which  the  patriot  colonies 
were  then  known,  and  ser\-cd  through  that 
struggle  with  Washington's  forces.  The  (itlier 
brother  sided  with  the  Tories,  in  conseciuence 
of  which  the  two  brothers  l)ecanie  alienated 
;uid  a  total  sep.aration  occurred  between  the  two 
branches  of  the  famil\-.     Dr.  Reat  is  descended 


ElOGRAriilCAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  261 

fmin  the  ime  wlm  cast  his  fortunes  with  thnsc  Tweiity-tirst    l\L'L;iiiK-iit    iiiianti-_\-    ((Iraiil's  <ilil 

of  the  patriots  ami  who.  after  the  war,  settled  rci^inient ).       On  Jul_\-  jj.    iSfq,  he  was    pro- 

in  l*"re(ieriei<  Town,  Mar_\-lan(l.     At  this  place  moted  surgeon  of  the  regiment,      lie  retiuaied 

James  Reat  (father)  was  lK)rn  and  suhsequent-  to  Springfield  ;it  the  close  of  the  war  and  was 

ly  found  his  way  to  Ohio,  where  he  married  Su-  mustered  out  in  January.    i(S(i(>,      lie  then  re- 

sanna  Rogers,  a  Virginia  lady,  and  w  ith  her  set-  turned  to  Tuscola  and  resumed  his  regular  prac- 

tleil  in  FairHeld  county,  Ohio.     When  our  suh-  tice. 

ject  was  fi\'e  years  old,  his  parents  remo\ed  In  ]H()i  he  was  married  to  Miss  .Sallie  C 
to  (_'oles  countv,  Illinois,  where  the  father  Callaway,  of  Jackson\ille,  a  lady  fi  line  liter- 
purchased  a  farm  on  whicli  they  resided  ary  attainments  and  of  Christ ian  \irlues.  She 
for  a  time,  then  remmed  to  Charleston  and  was  horn  in  Kentucky  and  was  a  graduate  of 
Ii\'ed  there  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in  lierean  College.  Her  father  was  the  late  well- 
1868.  known  Re\-.  S.  T.  Callaway,  a  Ilaptisl  clcr- 
Dr.  Reat's  early  education  was  deri\ed  from  gyman.  They  have  had  three  children,  all 
the  meager  advantages  offered  in  the  neighhor-  of  whom  are  living:  A  daughter  I.ois,  who  is 
hood  schools  of  that  da\'  and  later  attendance  the  wile  of  Hon.  Thendnre  Hraiitley.  at  pres- 
at  the  .seminarv  at  Charleston.  That  institu-  cut  chiet  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  .Mon- 
tion  was  conducted  under  eminent  ]irofessoi-s  laua  ;  Samuel  (_'.,  who  with  his  consiii,  1  larr_\- 
and  here  13r.  Reat  recei\ed  a  good  collegiate  IC  Caraway,  were  pro])rietors  and  editors  of 
education  and  later  took  u))  the  study  of  the  the  Tuscol.a  Journal,  lie  is  now  in  Washing- 
languages,  hecoming  familiar  with  Latin  and  ton,  representing  a  numher  of  metro])olitan 
German,  and  at  the  same  time  teaching  school  newsp.apers.  lie  is  a  graduate  of  Cnion  Law 
a  numher  of  terms.  His  natural  taste  and  tal-  School,  at  Chicago,  and  is  taking  a  posl-grad- 
ent  were  those  of  his  cli.isen  profession  and  he  uate  course  in  literature.  I'reil.  who  graduatdl 
soon  thereafter  took  a  regular  cour.se  of  stud-  from  the  Illinois  Stale  L'ni\ersity.  and  is  now 
ies  at  the  Meilical  College  at  I'incinnati,  where  jiroprietor  of  the  Tuscola  Repuhlican. 
he  was  graduate<I  in  the  class  of  1N3S;  he  later  1 'r.  Keat  is  a  memhei-  of  the  Milil.ary  Loyal 
attended  the  Rush  Medical  College  at  Chicago  Legion  of  the  Cmted  .States  .and  the  llhnois 
and  llieix- giadu.Ued.  .\  iter  lea\ing  college,  he  .\iiny  and  .\a\_\  .Medical  .\ssoeiation.  I  le  and 
was  engaged  for  a  time  in  the  diug  husiness  at  wife  aie  memhers  ol  the  Alelhoilisl  l'.[)iscopal 
Charleston,  hut  soon  sold  his  inteit'sls  and  in  climch  of  Tuscol.a.  I'.oih  ha\e  taken  .in  acti\e 
1<S5(;  took  up  his  residence  at  Tuscol.a.  In  the  part  in  the  lempeianci'  cause,  lie  h.as  .always 
fall  of  iSOj  he  recei\ed  ;ui  appointnuMil  as  nianilesied  pnhlic  spirit  ;md  through  his  entire 
assistant  surgeon  in  the  war  of  the  Uelu'llion  life  has  heen  a  ni.an  ot  .ahstenuous  hahits  and 
and  was  assigned  to  a  post  at  Louis\ille.  where  consistent  morals.  I'"or  three  _\'ears  he  was  clerk 
he  remained  for  so4ne  time  in  ch.arge  of  a  hos-  of  the  hoard  of  education  of  Tuscol.a  and  while 
])ital.  (  )n  March  l.  of  the  same  \ear,  he  was  occujjying  that  oflice  look  (U-e|)  intei'cst  in  llu- 
Commissioned    lirst    assistant    surgeon    of     the  erection  ol  a  |)uhlic  school  huilding,   which  is 


262 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


surpassed  liy   few    in  this  scctiim  nf  llic  state. 
Dr.  Keat  is  widely  csteenied 
((uaiitics  nf  mind  and  heart. 


Dr.  Keat  is  widely  esteemed  Idr  his  inaiiv  giKid 


JOHN  J.  JONES. 

John  J.  Junes  was  many  years  previous  to 
his  death  most  prominently  identified  witii  the 
affairs  of  Douglas  county.  He  was  born  in 
Virginia  in  about  tlie  year  1S35  and  died  in 
Chicago  in  July,  1893.  In  early  life  he  came 
to  Ilhnois  as  a  ])enniless  orphan  and  located  at 
Georgetown,  in  X^ermilion  county,  wliere  he  re- 
sided with  two  I  if  his  cousins  and  with  whom 
he  remained  until  he  was  about  grown,  when 
lie  came  and  ](jcated  in  Camargo.  Here  he  be- 
came a  clerk  for  Alonzo  Lyons,  remaining 
with  him  for  some  time,  wdien  he,  in  partner- 
ship with  Coleman  Bright,  who  was  manager 
I'or  Mr.  L_\-c)ns,  started  a  little  grocery  store  at 
Camargci.  This  was  along  in  the  '50s.  The 
firm  cimtimied  \ery  successfully  in  business  up 
until  the  fall  of  18^14.  Then  they  s(jld  out,  came 
to  Tusciila,  and  engaged  in  general  merchan- 
dising, t.nking  in  a  Mr.  \\'il)ly  as  a  partner, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Bright,  Jones  &  W'ibly. 
In  about  1868  Mr.  \\'il)ly  .sold  his  interest  to 
Ijright  and  Jones,  who  continued  together  in 
business  until  Mr.  Jones  sold  his  interest  to  Mr. 
Bright;  this  was  along  about  1884  or  1885. 
Mr.  Jones  then  gave  his  entire  time  to  the  man- 
agement of  his  large  farm  near  Tuscola.  He 
was  twice  e]ecte<l  mayor  of  Tuscola.  In  the  fall 
ol  iS(;n  he  became  the  president  of  the  Ijanking 
b.ouse  of  I'.aughman,  Orr  &  Co.  and  remained 
as  such  up  to  the  time  of  hi.s  death, 


Mr.  Jones  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Lizzie  Ketchuni,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Ketchum, 
ol  Terre  1  laute,  Indiana;  she  survives  him. 
Jolin  J.  Jones  was  of  (juiet  and  unassuming 
manner,  a  self-made  man  and  his  uninterrupted 
success  and  his  character  as  a  man  were  well 
worthy  of  the  admiration  of  the  entire  people. 
He  had  the  mind  to  conceive  and  the  hand  to 
direct  his  business  affairs  in  such  a  way  that 
brought  him  success  in  all  of  his  undertakings, 
b'or  many  years  he  was  a  consistent  member 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  and  a  mem- 
lier  ol  the  Melita  Commandery  of  Knights 
lemplar  of  Tuscola. 


A.  C.  SLUSS. 


-'\.  C.  Sluss,  the  ])roi)rietor  of  the  Tuscol.i 
Joiu'nal,  a  weekly  paper  iiublislied  at  Tuscola, 
and  the  present  postmaster  of  Tuscola,  has 
been  for  many  years  prominently  identified  wilii 
the  business,  social  and  political  interests  of 
his  cit}'  and  county.  lia\ing  served  the  city  of 
Tuscola  twice  as  alderman,  three  terms  as  city 
clerk  and  one  term  as  mayo]-.  lie  was  born  in 
Kdgar  county,  Illinois,  April  7,  1850,  and  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  S.  and  Martha  (Hinenian) 
Sluss.  His  father,  who  was  l>orn  in  Kentucky, 
lenioxed  to  Tuscola  in  iSOi,  an('  there  carrieii 
on  his  ti'ade,  that  of  ;i  harness  maker,  up  to  the 
lime  of  his  death,  in  i8()_:;.  at  the  age  of  eighty 
\'ears. 

His  grandfather,  Da\id  Sluss. _  and  his 
grandfather.  John  Ilincman.  were  both  natives 
of  KeiUucky,  and  were  among  the  first  settlers 
in  Monroe  county,  Indiana, 


BIOGRAPIIICAI.   AND   HISTORICAL.  263 

A.   C.   Sliiss    learned    the    ti'adc    with    his  lautrw  and  served  U>  the  clu^e  nf  the  war.  lill- 

tatiier,  and  recen  t'd  liis  echicatiiiii  in  the  sehiKils  inj;'  aU   the  cunipany  dl'hees   I'runi   enrpciral   to 

of  Tuscola  and  the  Chieago  Business  CoUege.  ca])tain. 

Jde  was  engaged  in  the  mainifacture  of  harness.  L'pnii  returning  fnmi  his  arnn-  !-er\  ice  mw 

etc.,   wlien,    in    18S9,    he   was   appointed    i)(ist-  suhject  engaged  in  nierchanihsiug  and  fHrniing 

master  of  Tuscola  by  i'resident   Harrisun.  and  in  and  near  Areola  until    iSSj.   wlien   he  was 

again   received    the  appointment   hy   President  elected  county    judge.      He  studied    law    and 

McKiule},  which    shows    his    i)c)pularity    and  was  admitted  to  the  har  in    iSSi;.      j'liliticallv 

cTficiency  as  a  puhlic  othcial.     Mr.  Sluss  hecame  judge  Bassett  is  a  Repuhlican.  and  religiunsjv 

the   sole   owner   of   the    l\i>CMla   Journal,    the  is   an   adherent   of    the     Methodist     h^])iscoi)al 

official    Repuhlican   organ  of   Douglas  county,  clun-ch.  having  joined  that  society  at   Mdlers- 

in  Decemljer.  nSyS.     The  Journ.al  was  fonnded  Imrg.   fventucky,   in    iS^(). 

by  Siler  &  Lindsay  in  i.Sri4,  and  has  at  the  In  i860  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss 
present  time  a  paid  riiculation  of  a])ont  two  Xellie  M.  ("irnell.  and  twci  children  are  the  re- 
thousand  in  the  county.  It  is  stanch  Repub-  suit  of  tins  iniion  :  jonatliau  11..  residing  at 
lican  in  its  political  \  icw  >.  and  is  one  of  the  .\rthur.  Illinois,  and  .Martin  II..  residing  at 
most  progressi\e  .and  up-to-date  coinitry  news-  Mattoon.  Illinois. 
j)apers  in  central  Illinois. 

In  1N75  Mr.  .Sluss  was  united  ni  marriage 
to  r\liss  Minerva  liiggins,  id'  ilighland  counts-, 
Ohio.     They  have  three  children,   .\lfred    11., 

iM-auk  L.  and  Hatfe  1^.  ^,j.    ^^|,  ^,|,^    ^^^.^  ,^.  EPIILIX. 

Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Jacob  I'lphliu  are  the  oldest 
couple  in  d^iscola.  They  came  here  from  I'arke 
cotmt}'.  Indian.a.  .\pril  4.   1S3S.  when  the  nnm- 

\\     11    B  V.SSliri'  '"-'   "'   iuh.ibitants  could  be  connted  on  the  lin- 
gers of  the  two  haiiils.      Thev  lia\e  lued  bei'e 

[udge    W  .    II.    Bassett    was    boiii    Januar\-  more  than   fort v  ye.ars.  , and  out  from  the  door- 

!_',   i8^_',  on  ;i   faian  in   Harrison  couutw   Ken-  w.i\   ol  no  In  nne  m  Tuscola  b.as  come  ;i  kinder 

tncky.  and   there  grew   |o  manhood,   recei\ing  gi"eeli)ig  to  the  \\a\  tai'er  oi'  a  more  hospitable 

a    Common-school     education.      lie     later     at-  reception  to  fiaends  .and  rel;Ui\es.      I'ncle  J.ake 

tended  a  comnierci.al  collegein  (_  incinuat:.  < 'h,o.  ;s  closeh'  relitcd   with  the  ]innnti\e  lowii  ,and 

gr.aduating  Ma\'    1  _'.    1854.      .\lterward  he  en-  the  early  connlw  b,i\ing  been  among  the  first 

gaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  ('ynthiana.  inisiness    men    .and    sei\  ing    as   depuly    sheriff 

I\entuck\'.      lie  came  to  what  is  now  Dougl.as  mider    1.    L.   Jord.an.      .\unt     .M.arth.a    is    best 

countv,    Illinois,  in    1857.  ,and  was  eng.aged   in  known  for  hei' cli.'ua't.able  deeds  th.at  tell  of  uns- 

farming  until    hSfij.      .\t  this  time  he  enlisted  sions  cd"  kindness  and  lo\cand  crown  her  with 

in    Comi)any     K.     .Se\enty-ninth     Illinois     In-  .gloi'v.     To  a  lii'e  full  of  \-e;u's  and  rich  in  ex- 


264 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


[■ericncc  lliey  have  ail'lcil  the  greatest  measure 

(if  affection  for  each  dlher  and  luve  for  man- 
Isiiul.  two  j;cnis  that  shine  with  unihnimed 
splcndi)!"   in    the   crown   of   human    possibility- 


W.  T.  PLILLIAM,  M.  D. 

W.  T.  I'ulham,  M.  D..  is  one  of  Tuscola's 
leadinp;  physicians.  The  Doctor  has  been  in 
practice  for  many  years,  and  has,  hy  his  energy 
rmd  efficiency,  achie\-ed  a  success  and  reputa- 
tion in  the  healing  art  sectrnd  to  none.  He  is 
thoroughly  educated,  and  a  most  honorable  and 
congenial  gentleman.  He  received  a  literary 
and  scientific  education  at  the  Uni\crsity  of 
Illinois,  after  which  he  stutlied  medicine  in  the 
Indiana  Medical  College,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  spring  of  1882.  Since  that 
time  he  has  been  fully  devoted  to  his  chosen 
profession  at  Tuscola,  where  he  now  enjoys 
a  lucrative  and  extensix'e  practice. 


GEORGE   CALL.WVAV. 

George  Callaway,  a  retired  physician  of 
Tuscola  and  a  large  land  owner  of  Douglas 
county,  is  a  nali\e  of  Christian  county.  Ken- 
tucky, and  was  born  May  4,  1848.  In 
1850  he  removed  to  Illinois  and  was  princi- 
jially  educated  in  the  Illinois  College  at  Jack- 
son\-ille.  ,\fter  leaving  school  he  read 
medicine  with  Dr.  J.  L.  Reat.  at  Tuscola, 
Illinois,  and   sub.sequently  entered    the    Ohio 


Medical  College  at  Cincinnati,  from  whicli 
he  graduated  in  the  class  of  '73.  Dr.  Callaway 
commenced  the  ])ractice  of  medicine  at  Vir- 
giiua  City,  Montana,  having  gone  first  in  1871 
to  that  territory  as  surveyor  in  the  employ  of 
the  government.  In  1875  he  located  in  Tus- 
cola, where  he  successfully  practiced  his  pro- 
fession up  to  within  the  last  few  years.  At 
present  he  gives  his  entire  attention  to  the 
management  of  his  farm  in  Douglas  county, 
owning  in  all  over  eight  hundred  acres  of  land. 
In  1879  he  was  muted  in  marriage  with 
]\Iiss  Emma  C.  Wyeth.  of  Tuscola,  daughter 
of  L.  J.  W'yeth  (see  sketch).  To  their  mar- 
riage have  been  born  fom"  children:  Leonard, 
Katie,  Ralph  and  hhnma.  Dr.  Callaway  owns 
one  of  the  handsomest  and  most  costly  resi- 
dences in  Tuscola  and  is  a  large  stockholder 
in  tlie  First  National  Bank  of  Tuscola.  He  is 
a  son  of  Samuel  T.  and  Mary  (Means)  Cal- 
laway, the  former  born  in  Clark  county.  Ken- 
lucky,  and  the  latter  in  Christian  county,  in 
the  same  state.  Sanuiel  T.  Callaway  was  a 
Baptist  minister,  and  many  years  of  his  life 
were  spent  in  the  work  of  the  church.  For  a 
time  he  served  as  county  sui)erintendent  of 
schools  of  Douglas  county.  The  Callaway 
family  came  from  North  Carolina,  as  did  also 
the  Means  family,  and  settled  in  Kentucky, 
where  they  were  contemp<iraries  of  Daniel 
lioone. 


J.  H.  BASSETT. 

J.  H.  Bassett  is  the  editor  and  proprietor  of 
the  Arthur  Graphic,  which  he  bought  and  took 
charge  of  October   i,    1899.     The  pai)er  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL.  265 


liiniided  in   April,    iSN;r.  liy  T.  J.   Hancy.  and  ci.iunty.  Ills.,  where  lie  li;is  since  resided.     When 

was  edited  and  dwned  hy  him  until  he  sold  it  Mr.    Skinner   came    to    i)i)ut;'las   cnunty    there 

lo  Mr.  Bassett.     In   18S3  lie  himght  the  Areola  were  only  seven  families  in  what  is  now  \ew- 

Record,  which  he  ran  until  1886,  when  he  sold  man  township,  namely:     .\nson,  (kiston,  Roh- 

it  to  P.  L.  Henry.     Mr.  Bassett  was  three  years  ert  Hopkins,  L.  J.  Howell  and  three  families  hv 

and  a  half  in  the  pulilic  iirintins;-  office  at  Wash-  the  name  of  Winkler. 

iiii^ton.  under  the  administration  of  President  Joseph  Skinner,  father  rif  W.  W.  Skinner, 
Harri.son.    at    the    end    of    which    time    he    re-  hnrned  a  hrick  kiln  on  the  hanks  of  the  I'.nislr/ 
signed  and  came  home,      in    1891    he  and  his  T'ork    creek    in    1839,    it    heing    the    first    kiln 
father  then  again  purchased  the  Record  ami  ran  Inirned   in   that    part  (jf  the  state.      For  years 
it   until    1895,  selling  to   V,.    l\   Wamsley.      In  after   this   he    followed   hreaking   prairie   land, 
1897  he  and  his  brother,  .M.   H.  Bassett.  who  his  hoys  aiding  him  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
owned  tlie  Mattoon   Daily  Jnnrnal.  again  jiur-  cm-red  in    1837.      He  raise<l  a  large  fainilv  nf 
chased   the    Record   and    .Mr.    liassetl    had   sule  children,  ten  1im\s  and  three  girls,  W.  W.  Skin- 
charge  of  the  i>aper  until  janu.ary  1 ,  i89(;,  when  iier   heing   the    sixth   child.      I'nini    this    l;irge 
the  pa])er  was  sold  ici  .Nathan  Collins  and  sun.  f,i;nily  nf  ihirteeii  children  c.iiK'  ihi-ee  are  imw 
The    .Arthur    Craphic    was    originally    a    live-  living:     W.  W.,  John  and  Isaac,  lliev  heing  the 
column  newsp'aper,  hut  has  recently  heeii  made  three  oldest  .sons.      In  the  vear   i8(ij    |nhn.  W. 
si.\  hy  the  ]ireseiil  ]jriiprietiii-,  w  ho  has  in  other  W.   aiul    .\ns.in    .Skinner,   l)i-(  jtliers,   enlisted    in 
ways  overhauled  the  p.aper  and  office  and  con-  the  Seventy-ninth    Illinois   Volunteer   lnf:mtry. 
siderahly  increased  the  circuhitioii.  jnhn  and  .Xumpii  were  captured  at  the  hatlle  of 
.Mr.   liassett  was  horn  in  .Areola  luwusliip,  Cliickam;uiga.     Tliev  were  kejit  in  pi'isnn  se\- 
this  comity.  July  H),  \H()\.     hi  188,.' he  married  eiiteen  months  .-lud  nine  davs,  ;iiid  ilid  m  H  return 
.Miss    Xora    Perkins,    w  Im   die<l    in    1887.      To  to   their    regiment,    hut    were   mustered   out    ;it 
this  union  was  hoiii  one  child.  Nellie.     He  again  Springfield,    lllinnis,   ;ii    the  cImsc  nl    the   war 
married,    in    i8(;3.    Miss    Maggie    Degnan,    ui  W.    W.   Skinner   remained    with   his  comp;inv, 
Sprmgheld,    Illinois,    hecoming   his    wife.      'I'o  was  under  the  le;iderslii|i  uf  Sherm;m.  and  tu,  ,k 
them    ihree   children    li;ive    heen    h.irii,    Bessie,  ]jart    in    eleven    li.ird     fnu-lit    li;itlles,    hesidcs 
.M;iriiii  .and  .Mary,     d'lie    \rihui-  Craphic  has  a  skirmishing  hv    the  uimiuIi.      He  was  mustered 
circiil;ili(.n  nf  .ah.int  live  hundred,  is  well  edited  .  .ut  June  u.  i,S(>5,  :it  .Wasliv  ille,  'femiessee,  ;iiid 
and  is  a  very  popular  loc;d  newspaper.  discharged  June  jy.    18(13.  ;it  Springfield,    Illi- 
nois. 
\\'.  W.  .Skinner,  heing  an  early  selller  of  (In- 
eastern   ji.art   of    Douglas  county,    Illinois,   well 
W.  W.  SK  1  .X.X  k.R.  rememhers  .some   of   the   incidents   of   its   llrst 

settlers.      Rohert   Matson.   fnun   Kentnckv,  sct- 

W.    W.   Skinner   was   horn    .Xovemher    1  _>.  tied  here  in  1  83(j  or  1840.     1  le  first  located  iie.ar 

1833.   in    N'ermilhon.    Indiana.      hi    i83<),   with  Coffee's  Crove.  in  Sargent  lovvushi]).  and  in  a 

Ins  parents,  he  moved  to  Coles  (n<'\v  Douglas)  few    years    removed    one    and    oue-h.-df    miles 


266  BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


iiurllK-ast  of  Newman.     1  le  was  a  wealthy  man,  (.ractice  nf  medicine.      In    1S31    lie   moved   to 

ownins^-  a  large  planlalion  in   Kentucky  and  a  Camargo.    Illinois,  and   continued  the  practice 

numher  of  slaves.     He  hrought  nine  slaves  to  of  his  clio.scn  profession.      Later  he  attended 

Illinois   with   him.      In    1847   his   slaves   were  lectures   at   the   Jeffersmi    Medical    College   of 

spiritetl  away  to  Charleston,  the  county  seat  of  I'liiladeljihia,    graduating   therefrom    in    1S53. 

Coles  county,  they  claiming  their  freedom  un-  Jn    1858  he  moved   to   Centralia,   Illinois,   but 

der  the  laws  of  a  free  state  and  being  protected  removed  to  Camargo  the  following  year.    Sep- 

ni  their  project  l)y  ivutherford  and  Ashmore.  temlier  15,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  Sixty-second 

Mr.    Matson,    fearing   the   loss   of   his    human  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  but  was 

property,    fnllowed    them    to    Charleston    and  shortly  transferred   U>  the  Si.xty-third    Illinois 

brought  suit   for  the  rights  of  property.      He  Volunteer  Infantry  and  appointed  surgeon  of 

employed  for  his  attorney  the  Honorable  Abe  the  regiment,  with  the  rank  of  major,  in  which 

Lincoln,  who  was  at  this  time  but  twenty-nine-  capacity  he  served  during  the  remainder  nf  the 

years  old.  while  the  defendents  employed  the  war.  most  of  that  time  in  Gen.  J<ilin  A.  Logan's 

Honorable  O.  B.  Ficklin.     It  so  hapjiened  that  corps — the  notaljle  Fifteenth  .\rmy  Corps.     He 

Matson   lost   his   slaves,   while   he   himself   re-  was  mustered  out  April  9.    iSfi^.     Before  the 

turned  to  Kentucky,  from  which  i)lace*he  never  Si.xty-third  joined  General  Sherman's  army,  it 

returned  to  the  free  state  of  Illinois.  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  V'icksburg.  Mis- 
sissippi, Mission  Ridge,  etc.  .\fter  joining  Gen 
Sherman's  army  his  regiment  was  active  in  the 
attack  on  the  Ogeechee  Canal  and  Miller's  Sta- 
tion, and  particii^ated  in  the  long  list  of  famous 

101  IN   W    i\IcKlNNFV  battles  of  Sherman's  army  during  his  famous 

"march  to  the  .sea."     During  its  active  service 

John    Wright    McKinney    was    born    near  the    Sixty-third    regiment    traveled    some    six 

Springlicld.  Clark  county.  Ohio.  June  17.  1825,  thousand,   four  hundred  and   fifty-three  miles, 

and  died  at  I'amargo.   Illinois,  July    J,\.   1897,  After  the  war  Dr.  McKinney  resumed   his 

a"'ed  seventv-two  years,  one  month  and  twenty-  ])ractice  of  medicine  and  surgery  at  Camargo 

four  (lavs.     His  father  and  family  moved  from  with  marked  success.      He  was  author  of  the 

(  ;hio  to  Montgomery  cmintv,  Ind'ana,  in  1830,  hill  granting  the  formation  of  Douglas  county, 

where  the  deceased  l:\'eil  until  his  twenty  lirst  and  gave  the  county  its  name  in  honor  ot  the 

vear.      During    the     following    two    years    he  "I^ittle  Giant."  Stephen  .\.  Douglas.     The  de- 

tau.ght  school  in  Montgomery  county,  studying  ceased  served  several   terms  as  supervisor  of 

medicine  meanwhile  with  an  energy  and  avid-  Camargo  township.     In  politics  he  was  a  Dcm- 

ity  so  characteristic  of  his  nature.  ocrat.     While  he  did  not  belong  to  any  church. 

Mr.  McKinney  ami  Mary  Roll  were  joined  he  imssessed  strong  convictions  of  man's  duty 

in   matrimony   October    12.    1848.   at    Pleasant  to  his  God.  his  comitry.  his   family  and  him- 

Hill,    Indiana.      Soon   after   his   marriag-e   he  .self,  and  pract'ced  doing  good  and  being  lion- 

movcd  to   liillsboro,   Indiana,  and  began  the  est  all  the  days  of  his  life. 


lilOGRAi'lilCAL  AND   UISTOUICAL.  267 


SciilcinluT  _'5.    1X70,   Mary,  liis  \\ik-,  died  \ct  willial  tender  and  s\  iii]iallK'lic  as  a  w'cuiian. 

al  llieir  C'aiuari^o  luniic.  rcsiiectcd  and  hclnxetl  |  lc  was  liheial  and  <;encri)us,  administering  to 

l)v  lier  liiisl)and  an<l  all  who  knew  Iier.     Sepleiii-  the  pimr  as  skilll'nIK    and   t'arel'nllv  as   In   the 

i,er    10,    1S71,    Dr.    .\lel\iniicv  and    .Minnie   .\.  rich. 
Coykeiulall   were   jtiined  in  wedlock  and   li\'cd 
liappilv   together    nnlil    death    separated    them. 
The  Doctor  was  a  prominent  member  ot  the  A. 

J''.  &  .\.  M.,  Camargo  Lodge.  .\o.  440;  Knights  SAMUEI.  i ..  IK  )rKlNS. 

'lem])lar:  h'raiik  l\ecd  I'ost.  (_i.  .\.  R. :  L'oiinly 

and  State  Medical  Societies,  and  was  a  proini-  .Samuel   L.    llopkins.  c)ne  of  the  nio.st  snc- 

nent    and    respected    citizen    of    his    township,  cessfnl   farmers  and   stock  raisers  in   Newman 

county  and  state,  being  considered  one  of  the  townshi]).  was  born  south  id"  Newman  on  the 

ino.st  capable  and  successful  phvsiciaiis  and  sur-  old    llopkins  homesteail  in  the  year   1841;.      in 

geon.s  of  central    Illinois,      lie  was  a  member  1SS4  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hattie 

ot  the  local  or  Ci  mnty  ])ension  examining  board,  Hell,   and    is   the    father  of   six   childix-n.      Mr. 

ser\-ing  in   that   capacity   two   terms.  llopkins  owns  four  hundred  and  twent\'-se\eii 

J  )m-ing  Dr.  .McKiiuiey's  late  illness — gen-  acres  of  land  which  extends  nearly  to  the  cor- 
eral  physical  relaxation — he  was  attended  eon-  ])oration  line  of  Newman.  His  mother  was,  ])e- 
stantl}-  by  his  wife  and  children.  His  e.xpress  fore  her  marriage,  I*"lizabeth  Thomas,  and  was 
wish,  that  his  lamily  inu\se  and  care  for  him,  born  in  Indiana.  His  father  was  James  Hop- 
was  gratified.  During  these  two  months  all  kins,  who  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  along 
of  his  famil}-  and  childi-en  were  able  to  be  at  the  lh-ush\' h^n-k  timber,  lie  was  born  in  Pick- 
his  bedside  and  ailminister  to  his  wants,  night  awav  conntv,  (  )hio,  h'ebruary  i_'.  1X15.  .\t 
and  day.  His  strong  will  ]iower  and  remark-  the  age  of  nine  years  he,  with  his  familv,  re- 
able  energy  coupled  with  the  desire  to  recover  mo\ed  to  N'ermillion  coinily.  Imliana.  Here, 
his  health,  no  doubt,  prolonged  his  days.  Diu"-  on  January  _"  1 ,  i^.^S,  he  m.an'ied  I'di/abeth 
mg  this  last  illness  the  Doctor  was  ever  mindful  .\im  ddiom.as,  who  w.as  mentioned  abo\'e.  In 
ol  the  wants  ol  his  family,  presciibing  rest  and  (  )ctober,  1X41,  he  came  to  Illinois  and  located 
medicine  lor  them  if  at  any  time  he  fancied  they  in  section  5.  township  15.  range  14,  where  he 
needei]  it.  Dr.  .Mclxinney  died  in  the  same  rt'sided  until  his  death.  He  I'nsl  bought  one 
house  he  had  li\ed  l"or  alino>t  half  a  ceutiu'y —  hundred  ami  lhirl\'  .icre^  of  laud  al  seven  dol 
lorty-six  years.  He  died  as  be  lived.  lo\ing  and  l.irs  ;in  .acre,  and  al  the  time  of  his  death  he 
beloved  by  his  lamily.  neighbors  an<l  friends.  b.ad  accumnl.ited  m.iny  more  acres.  He  was  the 
His  leading  characteristics  were  his  honesty  in  fathei'  n\  ten  cbildi-en.  three  ( d'  whom  were 
his  dealings  with  his  fellow  men  and  his  integ-  born  in  Indiana.  d\vo  of  bis  sons.  John  Will- 
rity  as  a  ph_\sici;m  .and  citi/en.  He  possessed  iam  and  I'di  ddiomas,  enlisted  in  the  d'wenty- 
an  uidoinilable  will  and  a  conviction  of  pur])ose  lifth  Regiment  Illinois  N'olunteers  at  the  coiu- 
Ihal  won  him  many  a  battle  in  the  lights  for  life  mencement  of  the  Cixil  war  and  both  <lied  in 
lor  his  ]);aients.     He  was  courageous  as  a  lion,  the  service,  the  former  on  the   13th  of  Decem- 


268 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


licr  :il  a  hospital  in  St.  Loui.s,  and  Eli  Thomas 
in  the  latter  part  of  .\ugust,  1S62,  near  luka, 
Mississippi. 


DANIEL  RODERICK. 

Daniel  Roderick  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers 
now  livinti'  in  Douglas  county.  He  came  to  near 
Danville,  Illinois,  with  his  father,  Samuel  R., 
sixty  years  ago.  The  latter  died  in  Vermilion 
county,  and  soon  afterward  Daniel  came  to 
what  is  now  C^u-rett  township  and  kept  generally 
ahout  twelve  yokes  of  oxen.  He  was  born  July 
lO.  i8i().  and  his  education  was  almost  entirely 
neglected,  hut  he  is  known  as  "honest,  old  Dan 
Roderick." 


SECLEU   11.  LluSTh:R. 

Segler  H.  Lester  (deceased)  was  horn  in 
Virginia  October  ji;.  1804,  and  ilied  in  Garrett 
township  May  22,  1864,  and  married  I'arthenia 
Cas.saday  May  14.  1833.  Mrs.  Lester,  who  is 
known  among  her  neighbors  as  drandnia  Les- 
ter, still  survives.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  Cassaday,  of  X'irginia,  where  she  was 
born'  Inly  <j,  1811,  and  spent  her  early  years 
in  Kentucky.  In  i8_mj  she  came  with,  her  i)ar- 
ents  to  lulgar  coiuUy.  Illinois,  where  she  met 
Mr,  Lester.  wlK)m  she  subse(iuently  married. 
Ininu'di.-itely  after  her  wedding  she  mo\ed  with 
her  husband  to  ;i  ]ilace  on  the  Springfield  or 
State  road,  wb.ere  there  were  about  four  fam- 
ilies, of  whom  Mrs.  Lester  is  the  only  survivor. 
In  the  autumn  of  1834  she  mo\ed  to  tlie  site  of 


her  present  residence,  w  here  a  round-  log  cabin, 
Mix  1 8  feet,  was  built,  and  the  new  family  be- 
gan the  ditficulties  of  pioneer  life,   with  little 
more    capital    than    willing    hands    rmd    stout 
hearts.     There  were  no  cabins  nearer  than  ten 
miles  north  and  seven  miles  south,  the  site  l)e- 
ing  chosen  l)y  Mrs.  Lester  l^ecause  the  Indians 
had    once    ma<le    it    their    camping    gronud. 
Here  five  children  were  born,  and  here  was  lanl 
the  foundation  of  a  handsome  competence;  here 
also  the  homestead  still  shelters  the  welcome 
guest.     There  was  no  open  road  to  fortune  for 
the   pioneers;   the   nearest   market    for   surplus 
l.roduce  was  at  Chicago,  where  corn  was  S'.ld 
r(  .r  six  and  one-half  cents  per  bushel ;  pork  from 
one  dollar  and  a  half  to  two  dollars  per  hundred 
and  wheat  at  thirty-seven  and  one-half  cents  p.-r 
bushel.      Supplies   were   only   to  be   purchased 
at  the  expense  of  a  tedious  trip  to  Charleston, 
Terre  Llaute,  Georgetown,  Eugene  or  to  Monti- 
cello,  a  round  trip  taking  a  week  to  accomplish, 
luich  family  could  not  afford  this  expense  and 
some  went  for  the  whole  neighborhood.     This 
involved  the  use  of  a  wagon  and  three  yoke  of 
oxen;   the  loan    for  a   whole  neighborhood  of 
th<ise  times  would  not  now  be  considered  large, 
but  owing  to  the  condition  of  the  roads  three 
\(ike  of  oxen  barely  sul'liced.     The  accumula- 
tion of  ])ro]ierlv  under  such  circumstances  was 
a  difticult  matter.    I\lr.  Lester  worked  two  years 
to  earn  money  enough  to  enter  his  first  eighty 
acres,  where  the  homestead  stands,  an<l  in  1837 
be  went  to  Rock  River  and  broke  prairie  for 
two  luonths.  earning  enough  to  enter  one  hun- 
dred acres.     When  the  coming  of  winter  closed 
the    season's    work    on    the    farm    Mr.  Lester 
turned  his  skill  as  a  liunter  to  good  account, 
in  one  winter  caruing  enough  from  the  sale  of 
deer's   hind -quarters   to   discharge   a   debt    for 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  269 


liis  rillc,    fur  which   he  ha<l  cmUractcd   U>  ])ay  i:i  rchi;ic)ns  IjcHcf  and  ihed  in   Xew   ^■(>^k  city. 

lwciitv-li\e  (Inllars.      It   was  l)y  such  slow  and  Mr.  I 'rice  came  tn  1 )( pUL;Ias  enmity  in   iShoand 

ardiKius  cffin-ts  that  he  accumulated  .some  one  was  hound  out  tn  a  Mr.  .Mc.Xair,  i;(,inn- tln-ou,t;h 

Ihou.sand  acres  of  land,  of  whicli  he  died  pos-  all  the  hardships  that  generally  befall  a  poor 

sessed.     In   1H74  a  tine  frame  dwellinj;-.  which  orphan. 

had  been  erected  by  him  at  the  cost  of  twenty-  In     1S73    he    was    married    to     Miss    Ella 

seven  hundred  dollars,  was  destroyed  by  fire.  DrumnKmds.  of  this  county.     I  Ic  is  the  present 

but  was  at  once  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  fifteen  bun-  nominee  on  the  Reiniblican  ticket  for  re-election 

dred  dollars.  ti.  the  ollice  of  county  sur\eyor. 

Nine  childi'en  ha\ebeen  born  to  Mr.  Lester: 
Eliza  I.,  wife  of  James  Ilowe:  I  iarriet  .\., 
wife  of  William  Howe;  .Mmet.a  j..  wife  of  EI- 
licrt  !~1.  Crowley;  John  1).,  now  in  the  ai^ricnlt- 

ur.il  im]>lenient  business  in  Tuscnla:  Louisa  K.  GEO  O  MOORE 
.\..  wile  ol  1  )aniel  C.  Ji  ihnsi  in  ;  (  )|-lando  11.,  oc- 
cupying;- an  impiiiiant  position  in  the  patent  ( ico.  O.  Moore  was  born  December  1 ,  1S5S. 
office  at  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Lemuel  1'.,  now  on  ;i  farm  near  Mnncie,  liidiaii;i.  lie  is  thc 
a  resident  at  the  homestead;  Mary  \i.  died  tliinl  child  <<\  the  f.amily  of  .\lr.  and  .Mrs. 
No\ember  'i,  1S45,  aged  one  \-ear;  Margaret  LMuis  M,  mre,  ;ind  migrated  w  illi  them  to  1  )ong-- 
•'C.  died  -\pril  J3,  rS33,  aged  three  years.  Leni-  las  coniil\-  when  only  fi\t'  years  old,  locating 
iiel  r.  Lester  was  mai'ried  Eebruary  jy.  iSjj,  near  the  Cdiinfy  se.'it,  'fusi-ola.  llis  early  i-dn- 
l<>  Liuin.a  Rice,  a  native  id'  Kentuck-v.  who,  cation  w.as  attained  in  the  schools  o|  fuscola 
w  hen  a  cliilil.  came  to  I  )( mglas  county  with  her  and  ad  ji  lining  districts.  1  le  alsi  1  ti  » 'k  a  cl.assi- 
p.arents.  'fhev  ha\e  had  se\en  cliildi-en,  si.x  of  cal  and  scientific  course  in  the  .Vormal  C  ollege 
whom  .are  li\ing.  1 'erl  1)..  I'.ert.  I'.inl,  ( )tt<>  W.,  at  Dainille.  Indiana,  from  which  hv  gradu.ated 
( jcrtriKle  and  .M.artin.  (  )rw  ell  died  in  his  sixth  in  1  NX  1 ,  ]i;iying  his  tuitidii  and  way  through 
year.  the  scbni.l  b\-  the  sweat  of  his  bii  iw  .as  j.anilor. 

I  le  w;is  ])riiici])al  of  the  schools  at   RusselKille. 

Indi.aua.    in     iSS,',    giving    entire    satislaction. 

lie  tln'ii   lu'ld   the  chairs  nf  music  .and   higher 

W    T"    TTICF  m.athematics  in  the  ( 'ampbell    Xornial   Ciii\er 

sitv  at    llolloii,    Kansas,   in    iSXj;.      In   ,\ugust 

W.   E.    I'ricc,  a  resident   of  ( '.amargo.  and  of  the  same  vear  he  went  to 'l"n  ly.  (  )hio,  where 

the  present  cniintv  stirvevor,  who  has  efficiently  he  was  united  in  the  holy  bonds  ol  m.atrimony 

served   in   this  ca]);icitv    for  twelve  years,   was  to  Miss  Lillie  Conway,  a  resident  of  that  city, 

born  in  .\ew   \'ork  citv  July  S,   1S41).     lie  was  whose  acqu.ainlancc  he  had   formed  at  college, 

a    sou   of   William    Ivlward   ;nid    .M.athild.a    .M.  lie  and   his  .aini.able  wife  took   n])  their  .iboile 

(Wilson)  Trice,  n.atixes  of  Ireland,     llis  father  at   .Middletoii.  X'irgini.i.  where  .Mr.   .Moore  had 

w.as  .a  cabinetmaker  bv  trade,  an    E.]iiscopalian  accepted  the  associate  princip.iMiip  ol  the  .Shcn 


270 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


andoali  Normal  Cnllcge,  wIti'cIi  position  lie  held 
fur  three  years.  Owins^  to  the  declinino'  of  his 
wife's  liealth  Mr.  Moore  returned  U>  Illinois, 
stopping  at  Tuseola,  where  Mrs.  Moore  passed 
away  in  August  of  the  same  year.  To  this 
union  was  horn  one  son,  Louis  C.  In  the  fall 
of  1 886  he  accepted  the  principalship  of  the 
Newman  schools,  which  he  held  for  three  years. 
In  the  spring  of  1890,  heing  solicited  hy  his 
many  friends,  he  made  the  race  for  the  Repuh- 
iican  nomination  for  superintendent  of  schools 
Lif  Douglas  county. 


A.  A.  ARMSTRONG. 

Archie  A.  Armstrong,  one  of  the  progres- 
siye,  intelligent  and  well-known  young  farmers 
of  the  ciiunty  and  Camargo  township,  was  born 
in  Lawrence  county.  Ohio,  September  10,  i8C)i. 
He  is  the  sc~)n  of  J(_ihn  i\rmstr(ing,  \yho  is  also 
a  native  of  Ohio  and  now  a  resident  of  Cham- 
paign. He  came  to  Douglas  county  in  1879. 
and  bought  se\'er;d  farms  in  Tuscola  townshi]) 
and  in  nther  Idealities.  He  resided  for  some 
years  on  nne  of  his  farms,  when  he  removed 
to  the  cit\'  iif  Champaign.  He  is  now  living 
a  retired  life  in  the  sixty-fifth  year  of  his  age. 

Archie  Armstrong  owns  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  attracti\e  farms  in  the  county, 
which  he  has  well  stocked  with  Aberileen  An- 
gus cattle.  In  i88(')  he  wedded  Miss  Nora 
Rice,  of  Champaign  county.  They  lia\e  ilne 
child,  Idoyd.  ten  years  of  age.  Mr.  .\rmstrong 
is  ;i  direcliir  nf  the  Douglas  Count\'  hair  Asso- 
natinn,  .anil  a  member  of  the  M.nsnnic  lodge 
at    C.amargo. 


WILSON  S.  CURGETT. 

Wilson  S.  r.nrgett,  a  native  of  Sargent 
township,  ;uid  a  son  of  1.  \V.  Rurgett,  whose 
sketch  is  found  on  another  page,  was  born 
December  22,  1863.  He  was  reared  in  Sar- 
gent township,  wdiere  he  continued  to  live  until 
tight  years  ago,  when  he  removed  to  his 
present  farm  two  miles  south  of  Camargo. 

In  1886  he  was  married  to  Miss  Kate  May, 
.'I  daughter  of  Judge  Brown  (see  sketch).  They 
have  three  children  :  Ray  Brown,  Burley  Sum- 
ner and  Wayne  l^renton. 

\V.  S.  L'lUrgett  owns  two  hundred  and  ten 
acres  of  land,  on  which  he  lives,  and  is  one  of 
the  intelligent  and  rei)resentatiye  young  busi- 
ness men  of  the  county.  In  politics  he  is  an 
enthusiastic  Rei>ublic;m  and  has  served  two 
}  ears  as  townshi])  committeeman. 


JOSEPH  B.  PETTY. 

,  Joseph  Bradley  Petty,  one  of  the  successful 
business  men  of  Tuscola,  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising and  identified  with  se\'eral  other  enter- 
]n"ises  of  the  city,  was  born  in  Hendricks  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  August  24,  1855,  and  is  a  .son  of 
.Nathan  and  Ann  Mariah  (Wood)  Petty,  the 
former  l)orn  in  Chatham  county.  North  Caro- 
lina, and  the  latter  in  Mercer  county,  Kentucky. 
Mr.  Petty  was  engaged  in  farming  tor  several 
years  in  Champaign  comity,  and  from  1884  to 
i8()i  he  resided  at  lantlia,  Missoiii-i,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  hlacksmithing  and  hard- 
ware merch.-uidising.  In  the  latter  year  In- 
returned    to    Illinois    and    settled    in    Tuscola, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL.  271 


wIktc  lie  lias  since-  wurkrcl  al  his  tiMilc,  and  in  race.     Ali\s.  I'ett)'  lias,  in  her  six  _vc'ars'  asencv, 

iSijiS  opened  n])  a  <;xMieral  stnre  in  ennneclinn  ilmie  a  Imsiness  of  (i\er  ^4,600.     She  is  llmr- 

witli  his  other  I)usiness.  Dii^hly    cajjahle.    and    with    the    time    that    she 

In  1881  lie  was  niiited  in  marriaye  In  Miss  has  t;iven  to  licr  special  work  she  has  heen  re- 

Priscilla    Mars,  of  Chainpai^'n  countw      Thev  inarkahly  sncccsslul. 
have    fne    Imys;      Earle    Shirley,    liyron    Tal- 
mag-e,    Clara    Marrs,    V^irgai    Ira   and    William 

Natlian.      lie  owns   his   (iwn    hniiie   and    store  

liuildiiii^s,  is  a  hard  working"  man,  and  is  one 
of    the    honorahle    and    rejjresentatis'e    citizens 

of  Tuscola.     I  le  is  a  meinher  of  the  Methodist  S.AMUEL    15.    LOGAN. 
Episcopal  church  and  of  the  Court  of  Honor. 

Mrs.  Petty,  a  lady  of  t^dod  intelh\t,''ence  and  S;miue!  P.  Loq-.-m,  one  of  the  \'cry  oldest 
fine  Imsiness  tact,  is  a  daughter  of  W'illi.ani  and  "I  Ihe  pioneers  now  lixiiiL;"  in  Douqlas  county, 
Mary  Jane  (  Sutherl.and  )  Marrs,  the  former  a  nnd  tlie  lirst  sheriff,  was  horn  near  Ihe  village 
native  of  liourhoii  county,  Kentucky,  .and  the  of  Washington,  Mason  couiilv,  Kentucky, 
latter  of  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  four  years  Will-  A]iril  _:;o,  iSrG.  He  is  a  son  of  |osepli  and 
iam  Marrs.  with  his  father,  John  Marrs,  moved  Mary  (Morris)  Log.an.  The  I'ormer  was  a 
to  Shelhy  county.  Ohio,  where  William  was  nati\e  of  Mason  county  ami  the  latter  of  the 
r.aised.  He  nio\cd  to  Macon  couiil\',  Illinois,  stale  of  New  Jersev.  |oliu  Logan  (grand- 
in  1851),  and  there  engaged  in  agi-icultural  father)  w;is  one  of  the  early  settlers  from 
])ursuits.  I'riscilla  Marrs  taught  school  se\-en  Pennsyh.ania,  and  .after  his  arri\al  in  Ken- 
}-ears  in  Champaign  county.  Illinois,  then  he-  tucky  he  li\  ed  in  a  fort.  |oseph  Pog.-ni  (f;ither) 
came  Mrs.  Petty.  She  has  the  agency  and  is  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  i8ij  ;ind  was  in  the 
held  manager  l"or  the  \'ia\i  Coiiip.any  I'or  li;ittle(d'  the  Thames.  h'lm  Morris  (grand- 
Douglas  county,  ;ind  h;is  also  the  agency  and  father)  w.as  a  nali\e  of  .Vew  jersey  and  in  the 
lield  m.anagement  lor  the  M.agnetic  Shielil  o]>ini(  jii  of  Mr.  Log;m  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
Coni]i;niy.  of  Chicago,  in  her  county.  \i.-i\i  of  the  l\e\  i  ilution.  His  father  ;ind  niothei-,  in 
is  a  purely  vegelahle  compound,  the  oiitgrowtli  1837,  remo\ed  to  Coles  coimtv  and  located 
ol  a  physician's  ])rescrii)tioii.  To  his  ye.irs  of  within  two  miles  of  where  Mr.  l,og;ui  now 
e\])erinienting  was  aililed  .an  incredihle  amount  resides.  The  first  year  his  f.ather  rai.seil  a 
of  ])atience  and  money,  and  Vi.avi  in  its  pres-  crop,  renting  his  kaiid  of  (jIiI  |acol)  .Moore, 
ent  form  is  the  result.  It  is  virtually  precli-  S.amuel  1',.  1  .og.iii  enjoys  the  honor  of  h;iv- 
gested  loMd  and  is .  used  with  most  i)erl'ect  ing  heeu  the  first  sheriff  of  Douglas  coiintw 
.safety  hy  the  most  delicate,  y.iung  and  okl.  .and  has  Ii\ed  a  long,  honor.ahle  and  heanlil'ul 
1  his  remedy  is  world  lanieil.  ;ind  is  success-  life  in  his  adopteil  county.  In  1848  he  was 
fully  ust'd  hy  every  nation.  The  motto  of  the  ni;u-rie<l  to  Miss  Leah  I'uller.  a  n.ative  r,f  \'ir- 
\  ia\a  worker  is  ■'The  higher  physical  life  of  gini.a.  whose  death  occurred  in  181,0.  T,,  this 
woman."  .and   thus  preser\e  the  health  of  the  marriage  were  horn  twelve  children.     Of  this 


272 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


number  six  arc  lixiii.t;',  viz:  Samuel  F.,  AHicrt 
\V..  Il;irriet  j.,  llaniiali  C.,  Mary  E.  and 
SU'plK-n. 


GEORGE    C.    JEFEERS. 

Geori^e  C.  Jeffers.  mcmlicr  of  Uie  firm  i>f 
Brat^-p:  &  Jeffers.  engaged  in  general  merchan- 
dising and  banking  at  Camargo,  was  born  in 
Adams  oumty.  [llinnis,  in  1858,  and  is  a  son  of 
Samuel  P.  and  Rachel  (Orr)  Jeffers.  Samuel 
P.  Jeffers  was  luirn  in  Clermont  county,  Ohio, 
June  9.  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Elijah  and  Han- 
nah (  I'ine)  Jeffers,  natives  of  Clermont  coun- 
tv,  Ohio,  and  .\e\v  Jersey  res])ectivcly.  Han- 
n;di  Pine  was  a  daughter  of  William  Pine, 
who,  an  oqihan,  emigrated  from  England  to 
this  country  and  first  settled  in  New  Jersey, 
thence  remo\-ing  to  Ohio  and  later  to  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  died.  He  served  in 
the  war  of  1812.  Fdijah  was  a  .son  of  William 
Jeffers,  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland.  Sam- 
uel D.  Jeffers  came  to  Camargo  township  in 
1869,  from  .Adams  county,  this  state,  where 
he  i'.armecl  uj)  to  within  the  past  ten  years,  since 
which  time  he  has  kei)t  the  meat  market  at 
Camargo.  On  I'ehruary  22,  1855,  he  was 
wedded  to  Rachel  J.  Orr,  a  daughter  of 
Thom.as  and  Elizabeth  Orr.  In  the  beginning 
of  1865  he  xdlunteered  in  the  Eorty-seventh 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  in  service  till  the 
close  of  the  Civil  war. 

George  C  .Jeffers,  after  leaving  school, 
taught  for  one  year,  and  in  1879  became  a 
clerk  for  .\.  W.  P>ragg,  in  the  latter's  store  at 
C.'unar"go,  in  which  capacity  he  continued  till 
181)3,    when    he   became   ;i   p.artner,    with   one- 


half  interest,  aval  the  firm  name  became  Bragg 
&  Jeffers.  The  general  store  and  banking 
house  of  P>ragg  &  Jeffers,  containing  two  de- 
]);irtments,  carries  a  stock  of  general  merchan- 
dise valued  at  about  $20,000,  re(|uiriiig  a 
corps  of  four  clerks,  anil  does  an  annual  busi- 
ness of  from  $35,000  to  $40,000.  George  C. 
Jeffers  is  a  clear  headed  and  able  business  man 
whose  industry  and  comprehensive  grasp  of 
details  has  to  a  great  extent  made  this  one  of 
the  leading  mercantile  firms  of  central  Illinois. 
In  1884  Mr.  Jeffers  married  Miss  Carrie, 
a  (laughter  of  W.  H.  Hall,  rm  old  and  highly 
respected    citizen    an<l    merch;mt   of   Camargo. 


WILLIAM    W.    REEVES. 

William  W.  Reeves,  of  Tuscola,  one  of 
the  youngest  members  in  acti\-e  practice  at  the 
Douglas  county  bar,  was  born  on  a  farm  near 
Villa  Grove,  Camargo  township,  December  25, 
1870,  and  is  a  son  of  George  R.  Reeves.  The 
latter,  who  was  a  native  of  Delaware  county, 
Indi.'Uia,  was  born  in  1836,  and  his  death  oc- 
curred in  i88[.  He  removed  to  Douglas 
countv  in  1865,  and  was  engaged  in  farming 
up  to  the  time  of  his  dccea.se.  \\' .  W.  Ivceves' 
mother  was  Iiefore  her  marriage  Miss  Nancy 
E..  Wilson.  She  was  born  near  Urbana,  Ohio," 
and  was  a  daughter  of  John  O.  Wilson,  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  who  emigrated  in  1861 
to  Illinois,  first  locating  near  Paris,  and  later 
came  to  this  county,  where  he  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-nine  years.  Elijah  Reeves  (grand- 
father) was  born  near  Culpe])er  Court  House, 
Virgini.'i,  and  subsequently  emigrated  to  Ken- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


273 


tucky.  At  one  time  he  was  the  owner  of  qitite 
a  nunihcr  of  slaves,  but  later  became  convinced 
that  slaxery  was  wrong  and  freed  them  all  in 
the  year  1S36  and  moved  to  Indiana,  a  free 
slate. 

William  W.  Reeves  remained  on  the  farm 
unlil  he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,  when  he  entered  Wesleyan  College.  He 
continued  his  studies  in  this  institution  until 
he  had  finished  tlie  sophomore  year.  In  1S96 
he  commenced  reading  law  in  the  office  of 
John  H.  Chad  wick,  antl  was  graduated  from 
the  Bl(.)omington  (Illinois)  Law  School  in  the 
class  of  "(jcS.  He  was  immediately  admitted  to 
the  bar  and  opened  an  office  in  Tuscola.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  is  a 
Knight  of  IVthias.  In  i)olitics  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  takes  an  acti\e  interest  in  tlie  success 
of  his  [)art)'. 


taught  school  for  seven  years  in  Douglas  and 
Coles  C(Hmties.  In  i8(jj  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Nellie  1.  h'ancher.  of  Charleston.  Illinois. 
They   ha\e  one   child.    Paid    Kenneth. 

Mr.  .V\ery  is  a  member  <it  the  Knigbls  of 
Pythias  and  the  W'ootlmen.  He  is  a  si)lendi(l 
news  gatherer,  a  pungent  writer  and  a  young 
man  ol    splendid   reput.ation. 


J.  W.  ['.OVER. 


J.  W.  Pioycr,  a  well  known  f.armer  of  Sar- 
gent township,  and  the  present  census  enu- 
mer.ator  hir  the  same,  was  born  in  the  \icinity 
(d"  Ashmore.  Coles  county,  Illinois,  on  the  i  ith 
day  of  April,  1850.  For  twenty-five  years  he 
has  lieen  identified  with  the  industrial  growth 
of    his    townshi]).    and    is    well    and    f.avorablv 


J.  L.  A\'h:PV. 

J.  L.  A\ery,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
Areola  Weekly  Ik-raid  since  .\pril  i,  iS()3, 
was  boi'n  lour  and  one-half  miles  southeast  of 
Areola,  in  Coles  i-oinU\,  Illinois,  .\o\eniber 
__'5,  iS()f).  The  llerald  was  founded  in  the 
year  i8S_^|by  H,  11,  Moore,  who  conducted  it 
unlil  a1)Miit  ihc  _\ear  l8()i,  when  Willis  .S. 
Scales  bought  it  and  ])ub]ished  il  iiulil  he  sold 
it  to  Mr.  .\\ery.  The  paper  is  in  a  tloiirishiiig 
condition,  strictly  I  )eini  >i-ialic  in  ])olilics  and 
lull  o!  local  news,  with  a  I'irculation  nf  aboiu 
lifleen    hiin<lred. 

J.   L.   .\\er\-  was  educated   in  the  common 


schools,    the   Areola    high   school,   ;md    inok    a      known    as   an    intelligent   ;ind    upright   citizen. 

teacher's  cour,se  of  two  vears.      .\fierward  he      lie   is  the   son   of    I;imes   and   Susan    (Mack) 
18  '  .  \  / 


274 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Boyer,  the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  tlie 
latter  was  born  in  Kentuci<y.  As  early  as  1835 
James  Boyer  eame  and  settleil  w  ith  his  father, 
Joseph,  who  was  also  born  in  Virginia,  and  who 
settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  Ashmore.  Here 
Joseph  Boyer  became  one  of  the  first  settlers 
and  afterward  went  to  Missouri,  where  he 
died.  William  Mack  (maternal  grandfather) 
was  also  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  the  same 
vcinity.  James  Boyer  (father)  is  at  present 
residing  in  the  state  of  Kansas,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-nine  years,  and  his  wife  is  still  living 
in  the  same  year,  of  her  age. 

Jospeh  Boyer  was  reared  on  a  farm  in 
Douglas  county,  where  he  received  a  very  good 
common  school  education,  and  went  to  West- 
field  College  four  terms.  His  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred and  nineteen  acres,  which  lies  in  the  north- 
east part  of  the  township,  is  well  improved  and 
valuable.  Nearly  ever  since  Mr.  Bower's  resi- 
dence here  he  has  ser\'ed  efficiently  as  school 
director,  and  in  1900  was  appointed  census 
enumerator  of  Sargent  township.  In  1875  he 
married  Josie,  daughter  of  William  Hopkins 
(see  further  notice  of  the  Hopkins  family  on 
another  page),  who  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  in  this  section  of  the  county.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Boyer  have  se\en  children  li\-ing: 
Mamie,  Robert,  Belva,  Clinton,  Maggie,  James 
and  Floyd. 


REV.  J.   V.   MARTIN. 

Re\'.  J.  V.  Martin,  jiastur  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist  church  at  Ai'cola,  Illinois,  was  born 
in  C'hainpliu.  Minnesota.  No\ember  22,  1857. 


He  was  educated  in  the  St.  Francis  College, 
Milwaukee ;  St.  John's  University,  Minnesota, 
and  subse(]ucntly  completed  the  six-years'  di- 
vinity course  at  the  Grand  Seminary.  Mon- 
treal, Canada,  wdiere  he  was  ordained  Decem- 
!wr  18,  1886.  His  first  charge  was  at  Spring- 
field, Illinois,  wdiere  he  did  hospital  service 
for  two  months;  fr(.im  there  he  was  transferred 
to  Shipman,  laboring  for  two  and  a  half 
years  as  the  regular  pastor;  thence  to  Neoga, 
where  he  remained  two  years,  wdien,  in  1891, 
he  came  to  Areola.  The  church  here  was 
built  al)out  thirty-three  years  ago,  with  Father 
Manganas  as  first  pastor.  The  present  mem- 
bership of  the  church  is  about  three  hundred, 
situated  in  the  town  and  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  Douglas  county.  The  church  is  out 
of  tlebt  and  is  in  a  prosperous  condition. 

Father  Martin  is  a  conscientious  worker  in 
his  church ;  he  is  a  thorough  Christian  gentle- 
man and  a  de\out  worshiper  of  Christ. 


WILLIAM  H.  FISHER. 

William  H.  Fisher,  a  retired  farmer  and 
an  ex-soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  came  to  Doug- 
las county  in  1877  and  located  on  a  farm  two 
and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  zVrcola,  which 
he  purchased  and  resided  on  for  four  years, 
wdien  he  removed  to  Albany,  Oregon.  In 
1882  he  returned  to  Douglas  county  and  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  in  Tuscola  township,  remain- 
ing here  for  two  years.  He  then  purchased  a 
farm  east  of  Galton,  which  he  owned  anil  re- 
sided upon  for  ten  years,  when,  in  1893,  I't; 
moved  to  Tuscola,  where  he  at  present  resides. 


BIOGRAl'IlICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


275 


He  t)\\ns  one  Inindrc-tl  aiul  sixty  acres  of  laiul, 
ni)i"tln\est  uf  tuwn. 

Our  subject  was  Iioru  in  Ohio  county,  In- 
diana, January  7,  1839,  and  was  a  son  of  An- 
drew and  Eliza  (Hunter)  Fisher,  the  former 
a  natixe  of  lUitler  count\-,  ( )hio,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Switzerland  county,  Indiana.  His  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  Jacob  Fisher,  was  a  Penn- 
sylvanian  by  birth.  His  maternal  granil- 
father,  John  Hunter,  was  l)orn  in  Ireland,  and 
,  subsequent])-  emigrated  to  Switzerland  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  and  then  to  Ohio  county,  Indiana. 
Mr.  Fisher"s  paternal  great-grandfather  was 
a  I\e\  (ilutionar)-  soldier,  and  se\eral  other 
memliers  of  the  Fisher  fannl_\-  were  in  the  In- 
dian and  other  earl_\-   wars. 

\\  illiam  11.  h'isher  was  reared  in  JclTersnn 
count}',  hRliana,  <in  a  larni,  and  in  August, 
1<S()_>,  he  N'olunteered  in  the  l"".ighl_\-thir(l  In- 
diana lulanti\'  and  serxed  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  belonged  to  the  Second  Di\is- 
ion,  Fifteenth  Army  Corjis,  which  was  organ- 
ized and  commanded  by  Cien.  Sherman,  and 
later  by  Lien.  Logan.  He  was  in  the  Ijattles  of 
Chickasaw,  Miss.,  Arkansas  Post  or  Hinil- 
nian,  Jackson,  Mississippi,  was  through  the 
siege  of  X'icksburg,  at  Missionary  Ridge  and 
-Atlanta;  also  at  Joneshoro,  P>enton\'ille,  North 
Carolina,  was  with  Sherman  on  his  sweep 
til  the  sea,  and  was  present  at  the  grand  re- 
\iew,  W  ashington,  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

In  iSOi)  he  was  wediled  to  iSIiss  Nanc\'  J. 
lU'.atty,  of  Ohio  county,  Indiana.  They  had 
lour  children:  James  Ivlward,  ]\osanna  I>.. 
Eliza  1'...  mill  William  I'ranklin,  the  latter  de- 
ceased. Mrs.  I'isber  is  tlie  daughter  of 
(ieorge  and  Rosanna  (Snhth)  lieattv.  Her 
lather  was  a  native  of  Pentrs\l\ania.  and  her 
niiither    was    born    in    Oh'u)    connt\-.    Indiana. 


Her  grandfathers  were  Hugh  Beatty  and 
George  Snhth,  who  came  from  Pennsyhania. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisher  arc  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church:  he  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Grinid  .\rmy  of  the  l\e])ubhc,  and  independent 
Order  of  Odd   lAllows. 


T.  M.  RICHARDS. 


T.  M.  Richards,  a  leading  merchant  and 
grain  buyer  of  Hayes,  Illinois,  was  born  in 
Douglas  county,  lllinnis.  August  7.  18(14,  and  is 
a  sun  of  riiiim.'is  ^'.  Uichards.  wlni  was  ;i  na- 
ti\e  (d  1  l.irdin  county.  Kenluckw  where  he  was 
burn  ill  iSiS.  The  l.atter  nii>\ed  to  this  county 
in  the  'lorties  ami  was  engaged  in  farming. 
I  le  was  three  times  married   and  was  the  fa- 


A 

1 

^s  *''*^- 

lUw 

# 

ihei'  <i|  nine  children,  of  whnm  all  are  dead  C-\- 
replnig  T.  .M.  and  (i.  R.  Richards.  His  last 
wife  was  I  lesler  .\.  Real,  ami  she  was  the  moth- 


276 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


er  of  the  above  named  boys  (see  sketch  of  Dr. 
J.  L.  Reat).  Thomas  Y.  Richards  died  in 
1872. 

T.  M.  Richards  has  been  twice  married, 
tlrst,  in  Jannary,  1889,  to  I\Iiss  Dove  E.  Don- 
nals,  daughter  of  R.  T.  Donnals,  of  Tuscola, 
Illinois.  She  was  born  December  16,  1866, 
and  died  November  20,  1894.  Their  marriage 
was  blessed  with  two  children:  Beryl  E.,  born 
September  28,  1889,  and  Theodore  T.,  born 
February  16,  1892.  Our  subject  was  again 
married,  in  October,  1897,  to  Mrs.  Effie  M. 
Doty,  of  Effingham  county,  her  maiden  name 
being  Baker.  She  was  married  to  W.  Doty 
in  1891.  He  died  December  3,  1893.  They 
had  one  boy,  Daniel  I.  Doty.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Richards  also  have  two  children:  Ralph  H., 
born  August  4,  1898,  and  Lee  M.,  born  De- 
cember 27,  1899.  Mr.  Richards  is  the  grain 
agent  at  Hayes  for  O.  L.  Parker,  of  Tuscola, 
and  handles  about  three  hundred  thousand 
bushels  of  oats  and  corn  yearly.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and 
is  a  hustler. 


JAMES  S.  REEDER. 

James  S.  Reeder,  postmaster  at  Garrett. 
to  which  position  he  was  appointed  in  July, 
1898.  located  in  Bourlion  in  1856.  He  is  a 
son  of  John  A.  and  Mary  B.  (Harter)  Reeder. 
John  A.  Reeder  was  born  in  Ohio  in  181 5 
and  died  in  1891.  David  Harter  (maternal 
grantlfather)  was  a  native  of  Virginia.  James 
S.  was  in  the  Civil  war  as  a  private,  enlisting 
in  Company  G,  Seventy-ninth .  Illinois  Regi- 
ment Volunteer  Infantry.  Going  in  in  Au- 
gust, 1862,  he  remained  out  for  two  years  and 
ten  months. 


G.  R.  RICHARDS. 


G.  R.  Richards,  who  is  associated  in  busi- 
ness with  his  brother,   T.   M.   Richards,   was 


WILLIAM  S.  HAMMETT. 

William  S.  Hammett,  retired  fanner  re- 
siding in  Tuscola,  was  l)orn  in  Montgomery 
county,  Virginia,  December  9,  1823,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jc^hn  Hammett  (see  sketch  of  James 
R.  Hammett).  He  came  with  his  father  from 
Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  in  1829.  He  was 
for  many  years  a  leading  farmer  of  Camargo 
township  and  prominent   in   the  early  affairs     gaged  in  the  livery  business  in  Tuscola,  and  in 


of  the  comity. 


liorn  in  18G5.     He  was  for  several  years  en- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


277 


iS()(;  renioveil  to  ?Iayes  and  became  associated 
with  his  lirother.  In  181/)  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Myrtle  Johnson,  a  daui^liter  of  Wihiam 
T.  Joliiison.  of  'J'uscohi.  Tliey  lia\e  no  chil- 
dren. George  is  i^iiown  as  a  I)all  phixer  all  o\er 
central  Illinois. 


STEPHEN  S.  HENSON. 

Stephen  S.  Plenson,  a  highly  respected  cit- 
izen, belonging  to  the  old  school  of  gentlemen, 
and  who  is  prol)aI)ly  as  well  and  fa\'orahly 
known  as  any  man  in  the  connt}',  was  horn 
near  L'ynthiana.  llarrison  connty.  Kentucky,  in 
October,  1827,  and  is  a  son  of  Gide<ih  and 
Nancy  Shumate.  His  fatlier  was  a  natix'e  of 
Virginia  and  his  mother  of  Kentucky.  The 
fonuer  emigrated  from  Kentucky  to  A'ermil- 
lion  county,  near  Indianola,  in  1834,  and,  with 
his  wife  and  children,  Icicated  in  the  vicinity  of 
\^illa  Grove,  where  he  entered  a  large  tract  of 
land.  His  chikhxn  were:  George  W.  (see 
sketch),  .Stephen  S.,  and  two  daughters,  wdio 
were  the  wives  of  James  Richards  and  Cole- 
man Bright,  respecti\'ely.  All  the  children  are 
now'  dead  except  Stephen  .S. 

Mr.  Henson  was  about  fifteen  years  old 
when  he  arrived  in  Douglas  county.  He  has 
always  been  engaged  in  fanuing  and  at 
present  owns  a  beautiful  fanu  of  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres,  part  of  which 
is  in  Di>uglas  count^■  rmd  ])art  in  Cham- 
paign. In  T853  he  was  united  in  m.ar- 
riage  to  Miss  Nancy  K.  W'illi.ams,  who  w;is  a 
native  of  \^ermilioii  comity,  Illinois,  and  a 
daughter  of  Edijali  Williams,  an  e.'irly  settler 
in  \'ermilioii  county,     Mrs.  Henson  was  born 


in  1830  and  died  in  1893.  Of  this  marriage 
there  are  seven  children  li\-ing:  l-'ranklin,  who 
resides  just  across  the  road  from  his  father; 
Mantie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  E.  S.  Smith, 
of  C rhana :  Lula.  wife  of  Charles  Amnion,  of 
Carthage,  Missouri ;  Ward,  who  resides  east 
of  Villa  Grove  on  a  farm ;  Burt,  deceased ; 
Flora,  at  home,  and  Kitty  B.,  wife  of  S.  W. 
Love,  of  Urbana.  editor  of  tlie  Daily  Courier. 
Mr.  Henson  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
]\Iethodist  F4)isco])al  church  at  Villa  Grove, 
in  the  ati'airs  of  which  he  takes  an  active  in- 
terest. 


COLEMAN    BRIGHT. 

Coleman  Bright  came  to  Douglas  county 
in  1850  and  engaged  in  retail  merchandising, 
and  in  about  i860  remo\ed  to  Tuscola  and  re- 
mained a  member  of  the  hrm  of  Piright  I'i 
Jones  until  his  death  011  Iul\'  jo,  1881. 


W.  AVERY  HOWARD. 

W.  Avery  Howard,  who  has  recently  be- 
come a  ]iartner  in  the  broom  corn  business 
w  itli  W.  1 1.  Hancock,  is  a  native  of  I'ultoiu'ille, 
New  ^drk.  and  was  born  I'"cbruary  26,  1846. 
His  early  years  were  spent  at  I'ort  liunter 
and  later  he  eng.aged  in  the  manufacture  of 
broiims  here  with  his  uncle,  ]'".  I  iow;ird.  In 
188S  \\".  .\.  1  Inward  withdrew  .and  associated 
himself  with  Ileiirv  llerrick,  of  .Xmsterdam, 
New  'S'ork,  and  acted  in  the  c;i[);icity  of  super- 


IJS 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


intcndcnt  <it  factory  and  l)room  corn  pur- 
chaser. In  1894  he  went  to  St.  Louis  and 
for  three  years  superintended  the  hroom  corn 
business  for  Cupple's  Wood  and  Willowware 
Company,  the  larg'est  in  the  world.  In  August, 
1898,  he  located  in  Tuscola  and  engaged  in 
the  broom  corn  brokerage  business. 

He  is  a  son  of  Silas  and  Julia  A.  (Avery J 
Howard.  In  1872  he  was  wedded  to  Miss 
Emma  A.  Howe,  a  daughter  of  Allen  M. 
Howe,  wIki  resides  in  the  town  of  Florida, 
Montgomery  county.  New  York.  Mr.  How- 
ard is  a  man  of  culture  and  education  and  the 
city  of  Tuscola  has  gained  in  him  a  represen- 
tati\-e  citizen  and  a  thorough  student  in  busi- 
ness affairs. 


N.  S.  MONROE. 


N.  S.  Monroe,  of  .\rthur,  and  tlie  well- 
known  road-machine  manufacturer,  is  a  nati\e 
of  Shelby  county,  Indiana,  having  been  born 
eight  miles  from  Shelby\'ille,  the  county  seat, 
January  8,  1851.  His  parents  were  Andrew 
J.  and  Julia  .\nn(  Huffman  )}tIonroe,  who  were 
also  nati\es  of  Shelliv  countv,  Indiana.  His 
father  \\;is  a  farmer  and  came  to  Illimiis  in 
1856  and  settled  in  Richland  county,  thence  in 
(866  to  Coles  county,  and  three  years  ago 
moved  to  Areola,  where  he  is  living  a  retired  life. 
N.  S.  Monroe's  grandfathers,  Samuel  Monroe 
and  Jacob  Huffman,  were  both  Virginians  l)y 
birlli  and  were  pioneer  settlers  in  Shelliy  county, 
Indian;!.  His  grandf.ather  Monroe  resided  in 
Shelby\-ille  si.xty  years.  John  Raynes  (mater- 
nal grcat-gran(lfather)was  born  in  Maine.  John 
Monroe  (paternal  great-grandfather)  was  born 


in  Virginia  and  was  engaged  in  the  Methodist 
ministry  for  about  sixty  years,  living  to  be 
ninety-six  years  old ;  he  also  had  several  broth- 
ers who  were  preachers  in  the  Methodist 
church.  N.  S.  Monroe  grew  ui)on  the  farm 
and  received  only  a  common-school  education. 
He  removed  to  Douglas  county  and  in  1876 
he  located  on  a  farm  in  Bourbon  township, 
where  he  continued  to  farm  up  till  1896.  The 
farm  upon  which  he  resided  he  still  owns ;  it 
contains  three  hundred   and   seventeen   acres. 

In  1876  Mr.  Monroe  was  married  to  Miss 
Martha  A.  Leggett,  who  was  born  in  Terre 
Haute.  Se\-en  cliildren  have  blessed  their 
union:  Charles  \\'.,  .\ndrew  J.,  Margaret  M.. 
George  W'.,  Julia  E.,  Ora  B.  and  Alice  J.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  In  1894  he  founded  his 
present  road-machine  manufactory  at  Arthur, 
and  it  promises  to  be  one  of  the  leading  in- 
dustries of  its  kind  in  the  country.  His  build- 
ing is  13JX35  feet  in  size.  The  advantages  of 
the  jMonroe  road-machine  when  working  on 
a  pike  are  that  you  do  not  have  to  put  one  horse 
in  the  ditch  while  cutting  ofif  a  shoulder,  as  tlic 
bars  e.vtend  out  so  that  the  team  and  machine 
can  tra\-el  on  the  road.  The  fact  that  the  Mon- 
roe road-machine  will  do  so  much  more  work 
than  other  machines  with  the  same  [lower  lies 
simph'  in  the  construction  of  the  machine.  The 
bars  acting  against  each  other  there  is  no  wide 
draft  and  no  power  lost,  and  the  machine  will 
not  slide  into  the  ditch.  The  bars  work  in- 
dependently of  the  upward  and  downward  ac- 
t'on  n{  the  frame  caused  by  the  unevenness  of 
ilie  road. 

L'nder  date  of  February  2;^.  1900,  the  Ar- 
thur (irai)hic  copies  from  the  Southern  Re- 
N'iew  of  Commerce,  uf  Louisville,   Kentucky, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


279 


dated  February  7,  1900,  tlie  following:  '"As 
a  result  we  tind  that  'The  Monroe  Road  IVIa- 
chine,"  a  product  of  N.  S.  Monroe,  Arthur, 
llhnois.  who  is  the  patentee  and  manufacturer 
nf  this  machine,  is  the  best  on  the  marl<et.  In 
an  eihtiirial  hke  this  it  is  impossible  to  give  all 
the  details  of  our  recent  investigation  of  this 
subject,  but  we  wish  to  state  that  the  above 
named  machine  is  vastly  superior  to  all  other 
makes  because  it  is  made  of  the  l:)est  material 
regardless  of  cost;  it  is  constructed  strictly  on 
scientific  and  mechanical  principles:  is  strong 
and  durable  and  every  machine  sold  by  Mr. 
Monroe  is  fully  guaranteed. 

"This  machine  scrajjcs  ten  to  twenty  feet  at 
a  time,  leaving  a  perfectly  smooth  road  and  one 
free  from  all  ridges.  It  is  a  practical  road  ma- 
chine for  successful  work  (.m  either  dirt  or 
gravel  roads,  and  those  wlio  have  used  it  pro- 
nnunce  'The  Monroe  Road  Machine"  the  finest 
that  is  on  the  market,  wdiile  practical  mechanics 
sa\-  it  is  the  acme  nf  perfection  in  this  line  of 
in\entii)n.  and  that  an\-  man  of  ordinary  judg- 
ment can  iijjerate  it  witli  ease  and  safety  and 
perform  perfect  work  with  it.  Its  efficiency, 
tlurability,  sim])licity  and  the  cheap  price  at 
which  it  is  put  mi  the  market  certainly  recom- 
mend this  machine  to  all  who  desire  to  secin^e 
perfect  roads. 

"We  advise  our  iufpiirers,  or  all  interested 
readers,  to  write  Air.  Monroe  direct  for  further 
and  detailed  information.  He  is  a  gentleman 
well  known  for  his  business  tact  and  enter- 
prise, his  conimercial  rating  is  of  the  highest 
order  .and  all  parties  dealing  with  him  can  rest 
assured  tli;it  he  will  make  good  c\ery  repre- 
sentation that  he  may  m.ake. 

"This  unsolicited  editorial  endorsement  is 
made  in   strict  accordance  with   the  policy  of 


the  Review,  w  Inch  is  to  give  credit  w  here  credit 
is  due  in  every  investigation  that  we  make  for 
our  readers,  whose  interests  alone  we  seek  to 
serve.  The  Monroe  svstem  of  road  work 
should  be  given  careful  in\'estigation  as  it 
should  be  adopted  to  obtain  the  best  results 
when  the  machine  is  used." 


JACOB  MOORh:. 

Jacob  Moore,  the  pioneer  of  the  family  of 
Moores  in  the  county,  was  a  n.ative  of  Ken- 
tucky. His  wife,  .Amanda  Rice,  was  also  born 
in  Kentucky.  They  came  to  Douglas  county 
in  the  spring  of  1S34.  In  the  same  year  he 
])urchased  from  Sigler  Lester  forty  acres  of 
land,  and  afterward  .added  about  two  thousand 
nioi'e.  1  le  died  in  iSOo.  and  his  wife  in  iSfi^. 
riiey  h.ad  ten  childi"en:  the  eldest  of  whom, 
William  T.  Moore,  was  born  in  I'ark  count)', 
Indiana,  September  5,    iiSjo. 


ALVY  T.  PARKE. 


.\Ky  j.  I'.arke  is  one  of  the  luistling.  go- 
;ihead,  young  business  men  of  the  count v,  lo- 
cated .at  llindsboro,  engaged  in  the  gr.ain  .and 
implement  business',  w.as  born  on  ;i  f.ann  in 
.S.argeiU  towiishi]i  ^^ar(•h  it,  TS76,  ;nid  is  a 
>^<'n  of  r,.  I',  and  ll.arriet  (  Wienn.an  )  P.arke. 
r>ofh  of  his  ])arents  were  born  in  Champaign 
county,  are  living,  and  t'or  the  past  year  resided 


28o 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


in  Slielhy  county,  Tennessee.  Mr.  Parke  was 
reared  to  manhodd  on  the  farm  and  received 
his  education  in  tlie  high  school  of  Oakland. 
In  1897  he  married  Miss  Myrtle  Lewis. 

A.  J.  Parke  started  up  in  his  present  husi- 
ness  in  November,  1898,  and  is  doing  an  im- 
mense business  solely  on  his  own  account.  Last 
yeai"  he  bought  in  the  neighborhood  of  eighty 
th(^usand  bushels  of  corn,  liesides  other  grain, 
and  finds  a  market  at  Terre  Haute,  Indiana. 
He  has  ju.st  completed  a  building  32x60  feet, 
and  has  it  filled  with  the  best  grade  of  the  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio,  buggies,  the  celebrated  Mitchell 
wagon  and  farm  machinery  of  all  descriptions. 
Mr.  I^arke's  future  in  the  business  world  seems 
unusually  bright,  and  his  characteristic  push 
and  his  re])utation  for  square  dealing  will.un- 
(iou])tedly  bring  him  just  results. 


JESSE  R.  BEGGS. 

Jesse  R.  P>eggs,  president  of  the  First  Na- 
tional I'.ank  of  Areola,  douljtless  enjoys  the 
distinction  of  being  the  \'oungest  national  bank 
])residcnt  in  tlie  state.  He  has  occu])ied  this  im- 
portant position  since  the  death  of  his  father, 
whom  he  succeeded  in  February,  1895.  He  was 
Ijorn  in  .\rcola,  August  19,  1868,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  pul)lic  schouls  of  the  \'illage.  His 
father.  James  Beggs.  was  liorn  in  Clark  county, 
near  Charlestown,  the  old  county  seat.  He  came 
to  .\iTo1a  in  1858,  where  be  followed  a  most 
successful  business  career  up  to  the  tune  of  his 
death.  1  lis  wife  was  .\manda  Brentlinger,  who 
was  also  horn  in  tlie  same  town.  On  the  or- 
ganization of  the  hank,  in  1874,  he  was  chosen 


its  first  president,  though  he  had  had  banking 
cxi)erience  since  1866.  The  present  capital  of 
the  liank  is  fifty  thousand  dollars,  with  a  sur- 
])lus  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  one  hundred 
and  twenty  thousand  dollars  average  deposits. 
Laider  its  present  management  it  is  doing  a 
flc;)urishing  business,  and  is  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial banking"  houses  in  central  Illinois. 

In  1892  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss 
Florence  M.  McMillan,  of  Areola.  Mr.  Beggs 
has  many  substantial  and  devoted  friends  and 
no  young  man  is  more  favorably  known 
throughout  the  county  than  he. 


MARION   WATSON. 

Marion  \\'atson,  of  Arthur,  after  reading 
law  under  the  instruction  of  William  H.  Wh't- 
taker,  of  Sulli\-an,  was  admitted  to  practice 
law  before  the  supreme  court  of  tlie  state  in 
1896.  He  was  horn  on  a  farm  near  Bloom- 
tield,  Greene  county,  Indiana,  Octolier  29,  1864. 
llis  education  was  received  in  the  common 
schools,  ami  he  afterward  attended  a  short 
term  at  the  normal  at  Dan\ille.  Indiana.  He 
remained  on  the  farm  in  his  native  county 
until  1883,  when  he  came  to  Illinois,  locating 
in  Douglas  county,  and  spent  two  seasons  as  a 
common  work  hand  on  the  farm,  working  one 
winter  during  this  time  for  his  board  and 
attending  school.  Subsequently  lie  taught 
schodl  for  six  years  in  the  county.  In  1892 
Mr.  Watson  succeeded  W.  IT.  H.  Reedcr  in 
the  insurance  and  real  estate  business,  since 
w  hicli  time  he  has  been  \-ery  su.'cess- 
luUy   eng;iged    iii   this    l>usines.s   iji   connection 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 


281 


with  his  law  practice.  He  has  a  most  complete 
law  lihrary,  and  tjiie  as  x'aried  as  those  gen- 
crall}-  found  in  cities. 

On  Se])temher  5.  1892,  he  was  uniteil  in 
marriage  with  Miss  I\  y  J.,  daughter  of  James 
and  Belle  (Jammn,  of  Edgar  countw  Illinois. 
They  have  four  children :  Esther  Marie,  [\alph 
Waldo,  Gladys  and  Grace. 

Marion  Watson  is  the  son  of  Dale  and 
Ouintilla  (Payne)  Watson,  who  were  prob- 
ably born  in  Virginia.  Dale  came  to  Indiana 
with  his  father,  John  Watson,  and  they  were 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Greene  cc  lait}". 
His  maternal  grandfather,  William  Payne,  was 
a    native   of    North    Carolina. 

Mr.  Watson  has  served  one  term  as  pres- 
ident of  the  \illage  board  of  .Arthur;  served  a 
[lart  of  a  term  as  justice  of  the  peace,  ond  one 
term  as  assessor  of  I'ourbon  township,  and  is 
a  member  and  trustee  of  the  liaptist  church. 
Mr.  \\'atson  h;is  fought  his  own  way  to  the 
Iront  over  many  obstacles,  and  occui)ies  at 
present  an  cn\iable  an<l  honorable  position 
among  his  pmlessional  bretlnxMi  of  the  countv, 
lia\ing  the  confidence  of  the  entire  community 
in  which  he  li\es.  In  political  oiiinion  he  is  a 
stanch  beliexer  in  the  tenets  and  principles  of 
the  regular  Democracy  as  laid  down  in  the  Chi- 
cago platform  of  1896. 


SA.MCb.l.  W.  SMir.lA'. 

.Srnnucl  W.  Smilcw  gr;iin  btiNcr  .at  West 
Ividge,  and  member  of  the  lirm  of  .Snn'lev  iK.- 
Watson  (  r.,  T.  W.-itMm.of  llonrbdu  ),  is  one  of 
the  wide-awake  and  energetic  business  men  of 


the  county.  He  came  to  Douglas  count\-  in 
1889,  and  located  in  Boiu'bon  townshi|),  where 
he  was  engaged  in  business.  .Snbsecjuently  he 
ami  I!.  T.  Watson  forme<l  their  partnership, 
and  .Mr.  Smiley  located  at  West  Ridge.  This 
lirni  bought  at  this  place  from  Julv  r  to  No- 
\ember  lo.  i8(;9  130.000  bushels  of  corn  and 
oats. 

Samuel  W.  Smiley  was  born  at  Greencastle, 
Indiana.  Eebruarv  11,  1855,  and  is  the  son  of 
Jonathan  and  Mary  (Warner)  Smiley.  They 
are  both  dead.  Mr.  Smiley's  i)arents  removed 
from  Greencastle  to  Stanford,  Kentucky,  where 
he  was  principal]\-  reared  and  educated.  In  1876 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Hester  Has- 
barger,  and  six  children  have  been  born  to  their 
marriage.  Mr,  Smiley's  grandfather,  Jona- 
than Smiley,  was  a  nati\e  \Mrgini;ui;  his  ma- 
ternal grand  feather  was  Samuel  \\  arner.  .Mr. 
Smiley  is  postmaster  at  West  Ridge,  owns  (jne 
hundred  and  si.xty  acres  of  land  in  Camargo 
townshi]),  and  is  ra|)iillv  coming  to  the  front 
as  one  of  Douglas  countv's  most  successlul 
business  men. 


WILI.IA.M    b..   .VTWl-.LL. 

William  li.  .Vlwell  was  born  in  I'.racken 
county,  Kentucky,  in  the  year  .\.  1).  1 83  r , 
and  tlicre  grew  to  man's  estate,  when  he  mo\-ed 
to  a  f.-uin  in  I'ciidlclou  countv  in  the  same 
slate.  lie  wt'diK-d  .Miss  Nancy  Barrett,  of 
nc.ai' ( '\  iitlii;in;i.  .She  died  in  June,  1897.  I'ley 
h.ad  t  w  el\  e  children.  ;ill  of  win  im  .arc  li\ing  ;uicl 
doing  well  in  ihe  wdi'ld.  .Mr.  .\twell  is  a  son 
of  William  and  Crsla  (iMclds)  .\twell,  who 
wei'c    nati\es    (jf    old    X'irginia.       Mis    grand- 


282 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


fathers  were  Hugh  Atwell  and  Leban  Fields, 
the  former  born  in  Virginia  and  the  latter  in 
North  Carolina..  Mr.  Atwell.  who  is  a  warm 
hearted  gentleman,  for  which  his  state  is 
noted,  has  for  several  years  made  his  home 
with  one  of  his  daughters,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  M. 
W'veth,  in  her  beautiful  country  seat  in  Gar- 
rett township. 


CHARLES  A.  HAWKINS. 

Charles  A.  Hawkins,  the  present  gentleman- 
ly county  clerk,  was  born  in  Pickaway  county, 
Ohio,  May  25,  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  William 
and  Sarah  (Hard)  Hawkins,  natives  of  the 
same  state.  His  father  died  in  1866.  Mr. 
Hawkins  was  principally  educated  at  Dan- 
ville, Indiana,  and  spent  two  and  a  half  years 
teaching.  He  served  his  township  (  Newman) 
as  tax  collector  and  supervisor,  antl  in  Niivem- 
ber,  1898,  was  elected  county  clerk. 

On  October  7,  1884,  Mr.  Hawkins  mar- 
ried Louisa  J.  Curtis,  of  Newman,  and  they 
have  four  children:  Claude  A.,  Opal  B.,  Pearl 
L.  and  Jav  M..  Our  subject  is  a  Mason  and  a 
Knight  of  Pythias  and  is  active  in  Republican 
politics. 


ALEXANDER  McNEILL. 

.■\lcx;uider  McNeill,  farmer,  was  a  son  of 
Alex.-uKler  ;nid  Nancy  (Montgomery)  Mc- 
Neill, and  was  born  in  Ireland  March  10,  1808. 
The  lirsl  twenty-six  years  of  his  life  he  .spent 
in  bis  native  land.      In   1834  he  emigrated  to 


America,    landing    in    Philadelphia.      Thence, 
two  months  later,  went  to  Paris,  Bourbon  coun- 
tv,  Kentucky,  where,  upon  letters  of  introduc- 
tion from  his  uncles  in  the  old  country,  he  ob- 
tained a  situation  as  clerk  in  a  cotton  establish- 
ment.    After  a  year  he  accepted  a  position  as 
clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store  at  Owensville,  Bath 
county,  Kentucky,  where  he  remained  six  years, 
then  sold  goods  on  his  own  account  in  the  same 
town,  having  been  saving  and  diligent  during 
his  seven  years'  clerkship,  which  enabled  him 
to  engage  in  Inisiness  for  himself.     Owing  to 
ill  health,  after  about  four  years  in  mercantile 
l)ursuits,  he  bought  a  large  farm  in  Bat'i  coun- 
ty, Kentucky,  and  began  farming,  which  has 
been  his  principal  pursuit  since.     It  is  proper 
to  here  note  the  causes  which  induced  his  re- 
luoval  from  Kentucky  to  Illinois.     Soon  after 
coming  to  America  he  became  a  Whig,  then  a 
Republican  and  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
war  found  him  a  Union  man.    Bath  county,  his 
home,  was  the  constant  scene  of  guerrilla  war- 
fare, and  men  like  Mr.  McNeill  lived  in  a  state 
of  constant  jeopardy.     In  1863  his  home  was 
invaded  by  a  party  of  fifteen  men,  whose  en- 
mity Mr.   McNeill   had   incurred  liy  his  out- 
spoken,   patriotic    sentiments.      The    inmates 
were    overpowered,  ]\Ir.   McNeill    shot    three 
times  in  different  parts  of  the  body  and  left 
for  dead.     His  wife  was  shot  once  through  the 
feet,  and  the  child  in  the  nurse's  arms  had  a 
bullet   sent   through   its   clothing.      In   conse- 
quence  of   this   and    the   intoleration    of    free 
speech,  in   1864  he  sold  his  farm  of  five  bun- 
dred  and  sixty-six  acres  and  came  to  Douglas 
county  and  located  on  the  large  farm  where 
be  afterward  resided,  then  little  developed,  but 
later  finely  improved,  with  large  two-story  resi- 
lience and  surrounding  adornments.     January 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


2S3 


30,  1844,  lie  married  ]\Ii.ss  jMinerva  lies,  of 
Bath  county.  Kentucky,  an  intelligent  Chris- 
tian lady,  to  whose  encouragement  and  frugal- 
ity Mr.  McNeill  largely  attributed  his  success. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  McNeill  were  members  of  the 
Methodist  church,  and  had  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  all  who  knew  them. 


KIMBALL  GL.\SSCO. 

Kimb.ill  Glassco  was  burn  X'oxeiiiber  K), 
18 19,  in  Hardin  county,  Kentucky,  three 
miles  from  the  birtli])lace  of  Lincoln.  His  fa- 
ther, Enoch  Glassco,  a  farmer,  moved  to  Coles 
ci unity,  Illinois,  in  1828,  and  there  died  in 
|8_^5;  his  wife  was  Rachel  I'arltun.  The  fam- 
ily <if  luKicb  Glassco  was  the  sixth  that  set- 
tled in  Coles  county,  and  located  there  while 
yet  the  Indians  were  (|uite  numerous  and  wolves 
present  by  the  thousand,  ;nid  to  reach  a  mill 
they  bad  to  go  twenty-eight  miles.  Kimball 
Glassco  had  no  school  advantages  for  four 
years  after  coming  to  Illinois:  then,  with  but 
few  books,  such  as  could  be  borrowed,  he  at- 
tended a  snljscriptioii  school  ;ind  hoed  corn  to 
]i;iy  tuition.  His  clothing  was  one  pair  of 
shoes  a  _\'ear,  made  out  of  lionic-tanned  leather, 
buckskin  ])aiits  and  linsey  shirt.  When  Kim- 
b.all  was  si.xteen  years  old  his  t'.ather  died;  then 
he  Worked  out  by  the  month  for  three  years 
to  support  the  f.imiK',  he  being  tlie  eldest  son 
at  home,  lie  then  le;irned  brickmaking  and 
])l;istering.  \vorke<l  ;it  contr;uiing  ,-nid  building 
seventeen  years  in  t 'h;irlestoii,  then  went  into 
mercantile  business  in  Cluirleston  for  four 
years,  then  went  to  farming,  owning  one  thou- 


sand acres  of  I;md.  In  1862  he  moved  to 
Greencastle,  Indiana,  to  educate  his  children. 
His  sons  enlisting  in  the  war  of  1865,  he  re- 
turned to  Douglas  county,  Illinois,  and  again 
engaged  in  fanning.  He  was  married  Feliru- 
ary  i,  1844,  to  Margaret  Reat ;  she  died  De- 
cember 2O,  1880.  His  second  wife  was  Hester 
Richards,  formerly  Hester  Reat,  sister  of  his 
tlrst  wife.  Mr.  Glassco  was  well  accjuainted 
with  the  Lincoln  family,  and  often  went  to  the 
grist  mill  belonging  to  Tom  Lincoln,  the  father 
of  Abe.  He  knew  .Abe  from  the  time  he  was 
three  years  old  and  sat  on  juries  in  cases  Lin- 
coln was  trying.  Altliongh  Mr.  (llassco  was  ;i 
lifelong  Democrat,  he  alwavs  x'oted  for  Lin- 
coln when  that  lamented  ni;uivr  w;is  a  candi- 
date for  office. 


JOHN   N.   OUTCELT. 

John  N.  Outcelt  was  born  March  4,  i83(;), 
in  .Muskingum  couiitx',  ( )bio,  bis  father,  lolin, 
being  a  farmer  and  a  nati\e  of  Rennsyl\-ania. 
Mis  grandfather,  J;icob  ( )utcelt,  came  to  the 
L'nited  States  from  .Scotland  and  settled  in 
neilf(inl  county,  I 'ennsylvani;i.  llis  mother 
was  .M.Hi'}-  McClain,  of  liedford  count\',  in  the 
same  state.  He  was  the  youngest  child,  .-nid 
.'It  sixteen  left  home,  came  to  Illinois  ;md  for 
two  years  sold  lightning  rods  ;md  s;i\ed  bis 
earnings,  with  which  be  ])ru'd  tuition  and  other 
I'xpenses  in  .iltending  school  one  \i-ar  in  .St. 
Louis.  l'|)  to  the  time  of  le;i\ing  home  he 
b;iil  const.anth'  ;ilteniled  sclionj.  After  leaving 
the  St.  l.onis  .school  be  sold  tombstones  for  a 
St.    Loui,s   lirm    for   three  j'e.ars,   then    worked 


j84 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL 


on  a  farm  on  Fort  Harrison  prairie,  north  of 
Terre  Haute,  for  a  short  time  and  in  July,  1861, 
came  to  Douglas  county.  In  Feliruary,  1862, 
he  went  to  St.  Louis,  enlisted  in  Company  I, 
I'irst  Missouri  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  in  1864 
veteranized.  Five  months  after  veteranizing 
lie  went  into  Company  F,  Thirteenth  Misscuri 
Cavalrv,  and  in  December,  1864,  was  promoted 
to  a  lieutenancy  and  assigned  to  Company  L, 
same  regiment.  After  the  surrender  of  Lee 
Mr.  Outcelt  went  on  an  Indian  campaign  into 
C(jlorado  and  New  Mexico,  tie  received  his 
final  discharge  from  the  service  in  June,  1866. 
At  the  battle  at  Independence,  Missouri,  he, 
with  four  companions,  unexpectedly  ran  on 
to  a  masked  battery  of  three  cannons  and  eight 
or  ten  confederate  soldiers,  which  they  suc- 
ceeded in  capturing,  being  immediately  re-en- 
forced. For  this  service  he  was  promoted.  At 
the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Douglas 
countv  and  farmed  three  years.  He  then  was 
appointed  deputy  county  clerk,  which  position 
he  held  up  to  1880,  and  was  then  appointed 
clerk  for  a  term  of  four  years.  He  was  former- 
ly a  Democrat,  but  at  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter 
became  a  Republican.  He  was  a  Mason  and  a 
member  of  the  Christian  church. 


J.VMFS  R.  HAMMETT. 

James  R.  Hammett,  named  for  his  father, 
whose  full  history  and  plate  is  im  another  Jiagc, 
was  born  in  Camargo  lownshi]).  l")onglas 
county.  Illinois,  December  26,  A.  D.  1870. 
He  was  princii)ally  educated  in  the  North- 
western Cniversity  at  Evanston,  Illinois, where 


he  remained  three  years.  In  1897  he  married 
Miss  Conchita  Kelley,  of  the  state  of  Chi- 
huahua, Mexico.  They  have  two  lovely  ba- 
l)ies :  Helen  and  Blanche.  Jimmie  and  his 
familv  live  happily  in  their  beautiful  home, 
which  constitutes  a  part  of  the  old  homestead. 


THOMAS  S.  WYATT. 

Thomas  S.  Wyatt,  ex-sheriff  of  Douglas 
county,  was  born  in  Todd  county,  Kentucky, 
January  13,  1838.  His  father,  Needham 
Wyatt,  a  blacksmith,  was  born  in  Tennessee. 
Thomas  Wyatt,  the  father  of  Needham,  was 
born  in  North  Carolina ;  was  a  Revolutionary 
soldier,  and  was  at  the  surrender  of  Lord  Corn  - 
wallis.  The  mother  of  Thomas  S.  Wyatt  was 
Mrs.  Martha  A.  (Mann)  Wyatt,  sister  of  Rev. 
^Villiam  W.  Mann,  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Methodist  church  of  Kentucky.  Thomas  S. 
Wyatt's  early  life  was  spent  in  his  father's 
blacksmith  shop.  He  received  but  ten  months' 
schooling,  yet  became  a  fair  scholar  through 
studious  habits.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  years 
lie  began  business  for  himself  as  a  carpenter, 
which  trade  he  fiillowed  for  two  years  in 
Muhlenburg  countv.  Kentucky;  he  next  fol- 
lowed farming:  then,  in  1865,  came  to  this 
county  and  built  a  blacksmith  shop  seven  miles 
northeast  of  Camargo,  which  he  conducted  un- 
til iSSo,  when  he  was  elected  sheriff.  In  1882 
he  was  re-elected  by  a  majority  of  six  hundred 
;ind  fortv.  He  had  previously,  while  engaged 
in  his  trade,  been  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  nine 
vears.  In  vouth  he  united  with  the  Methodist 
church;   has  been  a   class  leader  and   Sunday 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


JS5 


school  superintendent,  and  was  licensed  as  a 
preacher  in  1875,  since  when  he  has  preached 
often.  He  organized  a  society  in  Jordan  school- 
house,  Camarg'o  township,  which  society  after- 
V  ard  liuilt  a  large  church,  wherein  he  ])reached 
l;is  lirst  sermon.  He  is  a  Mason  antl  a  Repnh- 
lican,  and  voted  fi^r  .Mirahani  Lincoln  in  Ken- 
tucky. Decemher  30.  1S57,  he  married  Cas- 
cinda  Smith,  of  Muhlcnhurg  cnunty,  Ken- 
tucky. 


TAMF.S  II,  HOWE. 


James  II.  Howe  was  Imrn  June  i,  1832,  in 
l'>om-l)on  county,  Kentucky.  April  5,  1838,  he 
came  with  his  niniher  to  \'ermilion  county, 
Illinois:  he  was  reared  and  educated  in  Ver- 
milion and  Champaign  counties.  In  his  youth- 
ful days  he  traveled  considerahly,  and,  in  1834, 
came  to  Hougias  count}';  two  years  later  he 
hought  the  Williams  farm,  which  he  imprdved 
and  afterward  sold.  He  was  largely  engaged 
in  the  live  stock  husiness,  handling  as  high  as 
one  hundred  thuusand  dullars  in  a  vear.  In 
the  spring  of  iSS_>  he  was  elected  justice  of  the 
peace  and  was  also  high\\a\-  commissioner.  He 
was  m.arried  in  1837  tu  h'hza  J.  Lester,  who 
was  horn  in  (iarrett  tuwushij). 


lOHN  C.  r,.\RNES. 


John  C.  n.arnes,  ])hysician  and  lumhcr  deal- 
er, w;i>  horn  in  lelTersnn  cnunU',  lndi;ma,  Sej)- 
lemher  27,  1833.     i  lis  grand fathei",  John,  came 


from  Culpeper  county,  Virginia,  to  Indiana  in 
J 800.  McCianntm  Barnes,  father  of  John  C, 
was  horn  in  Jefferson  count\',  while  his  wife, 
Rehecca  Fonts,  was  a  native  of  Clark  county, 
Indiana.  John  C.  Iku'ues  was  the  eldest  in  a 
family  of  ten  children  ;  he  was  given  a  tlK)rough 
educational  training,  attending  first  the  com- 
ruon  schools,  then  llano\-er  .Vcademv  in  Jeffer- 
son county,  Indiana,  and  in  1833  gr.aduated 
from  Scott's  Commercial  College,  Indianapolis. 
At  twenty  years  of  age  he  began  for  himself, 
clerking  in  a  store  and  i)ost  office  at  Hanover 
four  years.  Ai)ril  24.  1860,  he  married  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Coombs,  After  marriage  he  took 
a  coiu'se  of  lectures  at  the  Eclectic  Medical  In- 
stitute, Cincinnati.  In  1866  he  came  to  Doug- 
las count}',  first  landing  at  the  present  site  of 
llindsboro,  then  a  waste  prairie,  but  went 
direct  to  Coles  count}';  after  a  year  there  he 
bought  a  farm  three  miles  west  of  Hindsboro, 
which  he  imjjroved  and  su])erintended  in  con- 
nection w  ith  his  practice  of  uKHlicine  until  1883, 
when  he  sold  out,  came  to  Hindsl)oro  and  en- 
gaged in  keeping  a  lumber  yard  in  connection 
with  his  practice,  lie  is  a  memlier  of  the  Ma- 
sonic lodge,  of  .\rcola.  and  Odd  b'elhiws  lodge. 
-\<'-  371.  of  Hin(Ll)oro.  I'oliticallv.  he  is  a 
Democrat  and  in  i8<S_'  was  candidate  for  Con- 
gress on  the  Greenback  ticket;  he  wris  a  mc-m- 
ber  ol  the  con\'ention  at  lndiana])olis  that  nom- 
inated iienjamin  b".  lUuler  for  iiresideiit  in 
1884.  lie  stands  high  socialh'  and  i.i  one  in 
wliose  opinions  the  communit}'  has  great  con- 
fidence. 1  lis  cliaritN'  ;ind  generosity  are  marked 
traits  of  his  char;u-ler.  Mrs.  llarnes  was  born 
and  rearc'd  in  Cl.u'k  connl\',  Indian;i,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Absalom  .'uid  Xancy  Rower,  iler 
grand  fallier.  Adam,  w  ,'is  bi  u'n  1  m  the  1  ice;m  while 
his   ])ai'ents    were   enroule    for    .Xmei'ica    from 


286 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Germany  in  1754.  Her  father  came  to  Indiana 
from  North  Carohna  with  his  parents  in  180G. 
Mrs.  Barnes  was  echicated  at  the  seminary  at 
Washington,  Indiana,  and  remained  at  home 
nntil  her  marriage  to  Jesse  Coombs,  a  farmer  of 
Clark  connty,  Indiana,  wlio  died  December  8, 
1853.  After  the  death  i)f  lier  husband  slie  at- 
tended and  taught  school  until  1855,  when  she 
began  the  study  of  medicine  for  which,  from 
early  childhood,  she  had  a  natural  inclination 
and  talent.  After  preparatory  study  in  the  of- 
fice of  Dr.  Joseph  Hostetler,  she  attended  lec- 
tures at  and  graduated  from  the  Eclectic  Medi- 
cal Institute  of  Cincinnati  in  1857,  then  settled 
in  Clark  county,  where  she  practiced  till  her 
marriage  to  Dr.  Barnes.  Since  coming  to  Illi- 
nois she  has  constantly  practiced  nntil  quite 
recently  and  has  an  eminent  standing  profes- 
sionally and  socially. 


JAMES  S.  REEDER. 

James  S.  Reeder  was  born  March  4,  1840, 
in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  came  with  his 
parents  in  1856  to  this  locality,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming.  He  enlisted  .August,  1862, 
in  Company  G,  Seventy-ninth  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  served  three  years.  At  the  battle  of  Stone 
River,  December  31,  1862,  he  was  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner;  after  being  in  the  enemy's 
lines  twentv-scven  days  he  was  exchanged,  and 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Liberty  Gap  and 
Chickamanga;  at  the  latter,  Septeml)er  19, 
1 863,  he  was  cajitured  and  taken  to  Richmond 
pristm.  thence  to  Andersonx'ille,  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  and  Florence,  making  seven- 


teen months  in  all  spent  in  prison.  At  the  close 
of  the  war  he  returned  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. He  was  married  December  2,  1865,  to 
Marv  ^1.  Kelly,  who  was  born  in  Winchester, 
Luliana.     He  resides  in  Arthur. 


J.  B.  RIGNEY,  M.  D. 

J.  B.  Rigney,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Paoli,  Or- 
ange connty,  Indiana,  and  is  the  son  of  Will- 
iam H.  Rigney,  who  held  the  offices  of  sheriff, 
treasurer  and  collector.  At  about  the  age  of 
sixteen  he,  with  his  family,  moved  to  Terre 
Haute,  Indiana,  and  for  three  years  resided  on 
a  farm.  Finding  rural  pursuits  distasteful,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  medicine.  He  com- 
menced his  studies  under  Dr.  James  H.  Sher- 
wood and  continued  with  him  for  three  years, 
when  he  went  to  Chicago  and  attended  the 
Rush  Medical  College,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  1863.  He  then  enlisted  as  hospital 
steward,  serving  nntil  January,  1866,  when  he 
returned  and  practiced  medicine  eleven  miles 
south  of  Terre  Haute,  and  in  1867  came  to 
Arthur,  where  he  has  since  resided.  In  1868 
he  marrietl  Miss  Ora  F.  McDonald,  of  Mat- 
toon. 


JOHN  WHITAKER. 

John  Whitaker  was  born  in  Vigo  connty, 
Indiana,  March  u.  1833,  ;md  is  the  son  of 
William  and  bdiz.-ibeth  (Taylor)  Whitaker, 
who  were  natives  of  Kentuckv.    His  father  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


287 


iKirn  in  1803  and  dictl  in  1846.  Jnlni  Whitakcr 
came  to  Douglas  count_v  in  1856.  located  on 
section  13.  Bourbon  township,  where  he  bi.iugiu 
a  farm  ol  eighty  acres,  on  which  he  lived  five 
years ;  this  property  he  then  sold  and  purchased 
eighty  acres  later  on.  At  present  he  owns  in  all 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres;  this  farm  he  has 
ini])ro\ed  with  buildings  at  a  cost  of  about  two 
thousand  dollars.  He  has  been  township  com- 
niissioner  for  about  five  years.  In  i860  he 
married  Hannah  Davis,  who  was  born  in  Vigo 
county.  Indiana.  She  died  and  he  subsequently 
married  Mrs.  Yeager,  of  Areola.  In  1898  they 
commenced  the  construction  of  the  Douglas 
hotel  and  on  April  19.  1899.  it  was  swung  open 
to  the  general  pulilic.  This  Imtel  is  by  far  the 
best  in  e\er_\-  wa_\-  of  all  other  i>ulilic  inns  in  the 
count  v. 


\VILLT.\AI    r..   CITAXDLKR. 

William  11.  I'liandlcr,  a  well  1%-nown  stock 
buyer  of  the  county  and  a  resident  <d'  liourlion 
township,  was  born  in  Douglas  county.  Illinois, 
-March  (\  iS5_>.  lie  is  a  sou  nf  Lenuiel 
Chandler  (for  the  ancestry  of  the  family,  see 
sketch.)  When  yet  a  boy,  William  1'..  Chand- 
ler entered  the  L'ni\ersity  of  Illinois  at  Cham- 
paign and  was  graduate<l  therefruui  with  a  de- 
gree of  B.  S.  in  the  class  of  187(1.  lu  1885  he 
served  in  the  capacity  of  clerk  to  the  Indian 
commission  at  ^'ankton  and  continued  in  this 
cajiacity  for  four  years.  He  then  went  to 
Pueblo.  C'ol(ir;ido.  where  he  engaged  success- 
fully in  the  pnictice  of  law  for  three  years.  On 
account  of  the  sickness  of  his  father  and  busi- 
ness  interests  at   home,   he   returned   in    1892, 


since  which  time  he  has  lieen  ((uite  e.\tensively 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock  Inlying. 

In  1883  Mr.  Chandler  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Belle  Augusta  Bailey,  of  Tus- 
cola. They  have  no  children.  Our  subject  is 
a  Democrat  in  politics  and  the  only  office  he 
ever  hekl  was  that  of  town  clerk  of  Bourbon 
township  soon  after  he  reached  the  age  of  man- 
hood. Mr.  Chandler  is  well  and  favorably 
known  throughout  the  county,  is  a  man  of  good 
business  ability  and  dexoted  to  the  highest  and 
best    interests   of    Douglas    countians. 


W.  D.  REED. 


W.  D.  Reed,  the  assessor  of  Bowdre  town- 
ship, was  l)orn  on  the  old  Reed  homestead  in 
the  same  township  March  14,  185J.  and  is  a  son 
of  the  gallant  B.  I'rank  Reed,  wdio  fell  at  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga,  and  for  whom  the  G. 
.\.  R.  Post  at  Tuscola  is  named,  and  whose 
]Mirtrait  adorns  this  i)age.  He  was  Ixirii  in 
Bourbon  county,  Kentuck}-,  and  emigrated 
with  his  father,  Daniel,  to  Ivlgar  county,  when 
he  was  but  eight  years  old.  Daniel  Reed 
touuded  the  old  ta\ern  or  road  liouse  at  Hick- 
ory (irove  between  .\'e\vm;m  ;iiid  lii(li,-iuola. 
He  \-olunteered  in  the  Ci\il  war  .-md  became 
captain  of  Company  1).  l-'irst  Illinois  Regiment. 
lie  was  united  in  m.irriage  to  Catherine,  a 
daughter  of  William  liarnett,  wdio  lived  in 
Camargo  and  was  one  of  the  early  settlers. 

W.  D.  Reeil  Ii;is  been  assessor  of  r.dwdrc 
towiislii])  contimii  >iisl\-  for  ti\'e  rears.  He  was 
married  in  1874  to  Ida  I...  a  daughter  of  |. 
11.  ]5agley.     They  lia\e  had  hve  children,  of 


288 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


wliinn  Ward,  Clark,  Fred  and  Mary  are  liv- 
ing, and  Maud  is  dead.  Mr.  Reed  is  a  stanch 
Democrat  in  politics,  as  was  also  his  father, 
Captain  Reeil. 


WILLIAM  BRIAN,  Sr. 

William  Brian,  Sr.,  was  Ijorn  May  6,  1806, 
in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  and  in  1837  he  came 
to  Coles,  now  Douglas,  county ;  he  entered  about 
one  thousand  acres  of  land  when  coming  here, 
and  has  owned  as  high  as  three  thousand  acres. 
He  had  learned  the  Ijlacksmitlrs  trade  in  Ohio. 
and  followed  it  about  twenty  years  here.  On 
one  occasion,  when  shoeing  a  Methodist  preach- 
er's horse,  he  nailed  the  shoes  on  with  the  toe- 
corks  behind.  The  preacher  remonstrated  with 
him  for  doing  so;  his  reply  was,  "The  devil 
takes  after  these  Methodist  preachers,  antl  I 
thought  I  would  make  him  take  the  back  track." 
He  was  married  October  i,  1829,  to  Anna 
Lewis,  who  was  born  in  Pike  county,  Ohio, 
May  4,  1805.  They  had  nine  children,  six  of 
whom  are  here  named :  Thomas,  James,  Mary 
(wife  of  R.  E.  H.  Westfall),  William  T.,  Tay- 
lor W.  and  Samuel.  His  death  occurred  a  few 
vears  since. 


JOHN  W.  KING. 


John  W.  King,  of  Newman,  who  has  for 
several  years  been  prominent  in  the  politics  of 
the  county,  and  at  present  is  associated  with  the 
.Xcwinan  bank,  was  born  in  Bourbon  countv. 
Kentucky,  October   13,   1 84 1.     He  is  a  son  of 


David  A.  and  Jane  Elizabeth  (Mitchell)  King, 
who  were  natives  of  Clark  and  Montgomery 
counties,  Kentucky,  respectively.  His  father, 
who  was  born  in  1818,  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming,  removed  from  Kentucky  to 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  in  1855,  and  tliere 
his  death  occurred  in  1896.  His  mother  died 
in  1882,  aged  fifty  years.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, Robert  Cass  King,  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  his  maternal  grandfather,  John  W. 
Mitchell,  was  also  born  in  Virginia,  in  Culpeper 
county. 

John  \\'.  King  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm  and  attended  the  public  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.  In  1862  he  joined  Company 
G.  Se\-enty-secoiul  Illinois  Volunteers,  as 
a  pri\ate,  and  served  three  years  antl 
four  months,  part  of  the  time  as  a 
non-commissioned  otHcer.  After  the  war 
he  entered  the  state  normal  school,  where  he 
reiuained  for  three  years.  Leaving  there  he  at- 
tended Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College  at 
Chicago,  where  he  remained  one  year.  He 
then  taught  school  for  some  years  in  Cham- 
paign county,  when,  in  1872,  he  caiue  to  New- 
man, and  for  three  years  held  the  principalship 
of  the  Newman  schools.  In  1875  he  was  elect- 
ed to  the  office  of  county  superintendent  to 
lill  a  \acancy,  which  he  held  up  to  the  next  gen- 
eral election  in  1877,  when  he  was  re-electetl 
and  served  up  till  18S1.  In  April  of  the  latter 
year  he  resigned  to  accept  the  appointment  of 
postmaster  of  Newman,  which  position  he  held 
under  the  administrations  of  both  Garfiekl  and 
Arthur.  At  the  exi)iration  of  his  term  he  ac- 
cepted the  [)osition  of  bookkeeper  in  the  New- 
luan  Bank,  which  position  he  held  up  till  1890. 
In  that  year  he  was  elected  county  clerk,  and 
was  re-elected  in   1894,  serving  in  that  office 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


J89 


up  until  189S,  wlieu  he  re-entered  the  Newman 
Bank.  In  1872  Mr.  King  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Kate  C.  Fry,  of  near  Cham- 
jiaign.  They  liave  live  children :  Blanche,  Earl 
G.,  Katie  W.,  Roscoe  W.  and  Harry  T.  Mr. 
King  has  been  collector  of  Newman  township 
some  four  or  five  terms;  is  a  member  of  nearly 
all  the  secret  societies,  is  trustee  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  at  Newman,  and  a 
stanch  Republican  in  politics.  Both  as  a  .soldier, 
officer  and  citizen  Mr.  King  has  been  faith- 
ful in  the  discharge  of  his  regular  duties  and 
the  perfi.irmance  of  any  special  wiirk  assigned 
to  him. 


THOMAS  W.  ROBERTS. 

Thomas  W.  Ri)berts,  the  l>right  young  law- 
yer of  Tuscola,  attorney  for  the  I.  D.  &  W. 
R.  R.  Co.  and  city  attorney,  has  from  the  hum- 
ble walks  of  life  i)ressed  his  way  to  the  front 
and  to-day  stands  among  the  leading  and  most 
successtul  lawyers  at  the  bar. 

1  hom.'is  \\  .  Roberts  was  born  in  Owens- 
burg,  (ireen  county.  Indiana,  Mav  i,  1866,  and 
soon  thereafter  came  with  his  ])arents  to  Doug- 
las county,  and  located  at  Camargo,  where 
young  Robert  .attended  school  until  si.xteen 
years  of  age.  In  iSSj  his  f;ither  removed  to 
Tuscola,  and  there  the  young  man  learned  the 
turner's  trade.  But  that  was  only  a  means  to 
an  end.  and  in  \HH(>  he  was  ajjpointed  to  a  clerk- 
ship in  the  treasury  de])artment  at  Washington, 
wlieie  be  worked  day  time  and  attended  school 
at  night,  ;nid  for  four  years  continued  in  the 
])rei)aratory  department  of  Georgetown  Univer- 
sity, after  which  be  took  a  four-years'  course 
in  the  law  dep.-iitmenl   of  the  s.ame  institution 


and  was  graduated  in  1892.  Mr.  Roberts  was 
at  once  admittetl  to  the  bar  of  Illinois,  anil  en- 
tered upon  his  chosen  profession,  becoming  the 
l)artner  of  the  late  C.  W.  W'oolverton  (see 
sketch),  with  whom  he  continueil  until  the 
death  of  his  associate  in  1895,  since  which  time 
Mr.  Roberts  has  continued  in  the  practice  alone. 
He  is  attorney  for  the  I.  D.  &  W.  R.  R.  Co. 
in  Illinois,  attorney  for  the  Corn  Belt  Building 
&  Loan  Association,  attorney  for  the  bank  of 
Baughman,  Bragg  &  Co.  and  this  along  with 
his  other  practice  makes  him  a  very  busy  man. 

Mr.  Roberts  is  a  son  of  Henry  Clay  and 
Anna  Elizabeth  (Sleet)  Roberts,  both  natives 
of  Kentucky.  Henry  Clay  Roberts  came  to 
Douglas  county  in  1870,  and  here  resided  for 
some  years ;  later  he  removed  to  South  Dakota, 
where  he  at  present  lives.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Ninety-seventh  Regiment,  Indiana,  in  tiie 
Civil  war.  volunteered  in  1861,  and  was  mus- 
tereil  out  in  i8')5.  Thomas  Roberts  (grand- 
father) was  one  of  the  early  Virginia  settlers 
in  Boone  county,  Kentucky,  as  was  his  grand- 
father Sleet. 

In  June,  18SS.  Mr.  Roberts  wedded  Mrs. 
Jennie  Sharp,  a  d.ingbter  of  R.  II.  B.  Madison, 
of  Tuscola.  Two  children  have  blessed  their 
union:  Irene  Elizabeth  and  Rali)h  Henry.  In 
Alasonry  he  is  a  Kniglit  'i\'mpl;n",  ;i  sl;uich 
Democr.'it  in  ])olitics,  and  is  poi)nlar  .-nid  intlii- 
eiUiai  ill  the  county. 


w Asiii.xcrox  I).  r,()\cb:. 

Washington  l)a\id  lioyce  was  born  at  the 
foot  of  nine  Ridge  near  l.eesbtn-g.  Lee  county, 
\irginia,  in  the  ve;ir  .\.   I).    1802  and  dieil  in 


290 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


Camargo  township  in  February,  1882.  He 
was  among  the  first  settlers  in  that  township, 
where  he  entered  forty  acres  of  land.  He  es- 
tablished the  first  blacksmith  shop  at  the  vil- 
lage of  .'vlbany. 


ROBERT  McKAIG. 

Robert  McKaig  is  one  of  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  Tuscola  township,  who  came  in  1857. 
He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  and  highly  respected  in  their 
neighborhood. 


J.  T.  BUTLER. 

We  copy  from  a  recent  issue  of  the  Tus- 
cola Review : 

"J-  T.  Butler,  of  this  city,  secretary  and 
manager  of  the  Corn  Belt  National  &  Loan 
Association,  had  received  intelligence  from  his 
brother  in  California,  that  he  had  struck  a  gold 
mine  of  unparalleled  richness,  and  that  our  fel- 
low citizen  was  a  half  owner  in  the  new  won- 
der. 

"The  editor  knowing  that  Mr.  Butler  was 
a  man  who  shunneil  notoriety  and  would  be 
loth  to  give  out  information  that  would  bring 
him  intii  such  prominence  as  an  article  of  this 
kind  necessarily  will,  approached  him  on  the 
subject.  He  was  at  first  disinclined  to  talk  on 
the  sul)ject.  but  learning  that  it  had  become 
generally  known  throughout  the  city,  he  con- 
sented to  make  a  statement,  in  order  that  the 
public  might  gel  the  facts  and  facts  only.    As 


Mr.  Butler  is  a  man  of  unimpeachable  character 
and  known  to  be  a  truthful  and  conservative 
man.  we  ha\'e  the  fullest  confidence  in  his  state- 
ment . 

"The  following  facts  have  been  given  us 
by  Mr.  Butler,  and  his  host  of  friends  in  this 
city  are  happy  to  know  that  he  has  suddenly 
become,  or  will  soon  become,  the  wealthiest 
man  not  only  in  Tuscola,  but  probably  in  the 
state  of  Illinois. 

"He  states  that  he  has  a  brother.  Dr.  Thom- 
as Butler,  a  prominent  and  reputable  physician 
of  San  Diego,  who  has  been  in  the  gold  regions 
of  that  and  other  states  for  thirteen  years,  and 
who  has  always  prospected  more  or  less.  About 
three  months  ago  his  brotlier  visited  the  great 
Dewey  mine  in  what  is  known  as  the  "Grape- 
vine" district,  sixty  miles  east  of  San  Diego. 
This  range  of  mountains  is  probably  a  spur  of 
the  San  Barnadino  range  and  are  called  the 
Vulcan  mountains.  The  Dewey  mine  is  a  late 
discovery  and  was  recently  capitalized  at  one 
million  dollars.    It  is  regarded  as  a  wonder." 


WILLIAM  T.  BRIAN. 

William  T.  Brian,  one  of  the  old  and  favor- 
ably known  citizens  and  a  member  of  one  of  the 
pioneer  families  of  the  county,  was  born  in 
1845  '•'^  Douglas  county,  and  is  a  son  of  Will- 
iam and  Anna  Lewis  Brian,  who  were  born  in 
the  same  county.  William  Brian  (father)  lo- 
cated in  what  is  known  now  as  the  Brian  neigh- 
borhood in  about  the  year  1843,  where  he  en- 
tered a  large  tract  of  land  at  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  an  acre,  and  adding  to  that 


BIOGRx\PHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


291 


later  considerably  more  at  thirteen  dollars  per 
acre.  At  tlic  time  of  his  death,  in  1888,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  years,  he  was  one  of  the 
i:)iggest  land  owners  in  the  county.  Lewis 
P>rian  was  his  paternal  grandfather.  His  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  John  Lewis,  settled  in  the 
same  neighliorhood,  from  Ohio,  in  an  early  day 
and  is  buried  at  the  Hickory  Withe  cemetery. 
William  'J",  lirian  was  married  in  1868  to 
Miss  .Sarah  Buudy.  a  daughter  of  Caleb  Bundy. 
The  latter  was  born  in  North  Carolina  and  set- 
tled early  in  U(_)uglas  county,  three  miles  north 
and  one-hall  mile  west  of  Tuscola.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  lirian  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  Ellanor, 
who  is  the  wife  of  John  Lathroj).  Mr.  Brian 
owns  at  present  eight  hundreil  and  sixty-two 
acres  of  land,  lying  in  one  body,  and  is  one  of 
the  biggest  tax  payers  in  the  county.  He  is  a 
stanch  free-sihcr  Democrat  and  is  universally 
respected  l)y  all  who  know  him. 


THOALXS  CRUZ  AN. 

Thomas  Cruzan  was  born  in  Douglas 
county  January  15,  1836,  and  is  a  son  of  the 
two  oldest  citizens  now  living  in  the  countj' 
who  were  born  in  it.  He  is  a  son  of  Roliert 
Cruzan  and  Jane  Crawford,  who  settled  earlv 
in  the  Brown  neighborhood,  coming  from  In 
diaiia.  Our  subject  owns  two  hundred  and 
lorty  acres  of  land. 


CALEB  GARRETT. 


OLIX'ER  H.  PARKER. 

()li\cr  11.  I'arker,  grain  buyer  at  Hayes 
;nid  llnnil)olih.  .-ind  a  son  of  Lines  L.  Parker, 
of  I'lowdre  township,  was  born  in  Vermilion 
countw  Illinois,  in  llie  year  A.  1).  iSfx).  lie 
resides  with  his  laniiK'  in  Tuscola.  In  i88t 
he  was  niarrii'<I  to  Miss  Aiigie  Wallace,  a 
ilaughler  of  Joseph  :md  Marv  Ann  (  i'reezley) 
Wallace.  Josepli  Wallace  was  a  i)ioneer  set- 
tler in  Bowdi'c  township.  Ti>  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Parker  were  born  t'our  children:  Burt  I., 
l'"red  ICarle,  Minnie  Pearle  and  Everett 
l)ewe\-.  Mr.  Parker  is  one  of  the  sui)stantial 
business  men  of  the  countv. 


Among  the  oldest  residents  of  Douglas 
county,  is  Calel)  (larrett,  of  Tuscola.  His  an- 
cestors early  made  their  home  in  .America,  his 
father's  great-grandfather,  John  Garrett  by 
name,  and  an  Englishman  1)_\'  l)irth,  having  set- 
Ik'd  in  X'irginia.  lie  bad  a  son.  John  (iarrett, 
and  ;i  grandson,  Welcome  ( iarrett,  who  w;is  the 
grand f.atber  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch.  Wel- 
come ( larreti  was  born  in  X'irginia,  and  when  a 
_\onng  man  mo\ed  to  Surry  county,  Nt)rth  Car- 
olina. He  ser\ed  in  Tennessee  during  the  In- 
dian wars  prior  to  the  Re\'olution.  lie  mar- 
ried I'JKebe  .Suninei".  a  Pennsyhanian  by  birth. 
The  ( i.arretts  were  a  strong,  vigorous  race  of 
men.  b'sbua  (lai'rett,  a  bi'otlier  to  Welcome, 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  I  SraiKhw  iiie,  during 
the  l\e\  c  ilulionarv  wai'.  Lewis,  .another  broth- 
el', was  shot  b\'  the  Tories  before  enlisting. 
William  was  with  Marion  in  South  Carolina 
through  the  war.  and  .after  the  conclusion  of  the 
stiaiggle  died  of  disease  contracted  in  the  ser- 
vice.    This  William  Garrett  was  a  m.an  of  jiow- 


292 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


eriul  Imild  and  of  threat  strength.  He  weighed 
t\v(i  hunch'ed  and  fortv  pounds,  and  was  called 
the  strongest  man  in  the  state  of  North  Caro- 
lina. 

Welcome  Garrett  became  a  member  of  the 
society  of  Friends.  In  1824  he  moved  to  Wayne 
county,  Indiana.  He  died  in  Hamilton  county 
of  that  state,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  Isom 
Garrett,  Caleb  Garrett's  father,  and  the  son  of 
Welcome  Garrett  was  born  in  Surry  county, 
North  Carolina,  in  1796.  In  1S14  he  married 
Mary  Puckett,  and  the  same  year  mo\-efl  to 
Clermont  county,  Ohio.  After  a  residence 
there  of  a  year  he  went  to  Clinton  county,  Ohio, 
where  his  son  Caleb  was  born.  In  18 ro  he 
moved  to  Randolph  county,  Indiana,  and  in 
1823  to  Vigo  county  of  the  same  state,  where 
he  lived  till  his  removal  to  Illinois,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  part  of  the  year  1839,  when  he  resid- 
ed in  Texas. 

The  date  of  Caleb  Garrett's  birth,  in  Clinton 
county,  Ohio,  was  the  i6th  of  July,  1816.  He 
was  consequently  seven  years  old  when  the 
family  moved  to  Vigo  county,  Indiana,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Terra  Haute.  His  early  opportuni- 
ties for  securing  an  education  were  very  limit- 
ed. One  of  the  schools  which  he  attended  was 
about  three  miles  and  a  half  from  his  father's 
residence  near  Honey  Creek  bridge.  Here 
school  was  sometimes  kept  for  three  months  in 
the  year,  an  unusually  long  period  at  that  day. 
Another  school  was  afterward  established  near- 
er home  under  the  care  of  Joel  Butler,  of  the 
state  of  New  York,  which  for  a  time  afforded 
excellent  advantages.  The  next  school  he  at- 
tended was  taught  by  one  Joel  Thayer,  an  ex- 
cellent teacher,  but  so  confirmed  and  inebriate 
that  the  children  soon  discontinued  attendance 


on  his  instruction.  His  father  was  a  man  of 
considerable  education,  and  under  his  care  he 
learned  rapidly.  According  to  Isom  Garrett, 
his  father,  obedience  to  his  parents  was  one  of 
his  marked  traits.  His  mother  died  in  1830, 
and  for  a  period  of  nine  years  succeeding  this 
event,  the  father  and  the  sons,  Caleb  and 
Nathan,  kept  house  for  themseh-es,  and  did 
their  own  cooking,  besides  attending  to  their 
usual  occupations.  During  part  of  this  period 
Mr.  Garrett  was  in  the  employment  of  Chaun- 
cey  Rose,  of  Terre  Haute,  and  now  one  of  the 
wealthiest  and  most  liberal  citizens  of  Indiana. 
He  drove  an  ox  team  for  Lucius  H.  Scott,  now 
of  Philadelphia.  He  dropped  corn  for  twenty- 
five  cents  a  day,  and  split  rails  at  from' twenty- 
five  to  thirty  cents  a  hundred,  averaging  one 
hundred  and  fifty  for  a  usual  day's  work.  For 
a  long  time  he  worked  for  a  wealthy  Scotch- 
man, William  Walker,  at  six  dollars  a  month. 
At  twenty-one  he  was  probably  the  strongest 
man  in  all  the  country  round.  Although  full 
of  life,  he  had  no  intemperate  habits.  He  was 
a  favorite  in  the  community.  "He  could  do  as 
big  day's  work  as  anyone,"  says  his  father, 
"and  at  a  country  frolic  could  play  a  tune  on 
the  fiddle  second  to  none." 

In  the  period  from  1834  to  1839  he  made 
several  trips  down  the  river  on  a  flat  boat,  and 
thus  became  well  accjuainted  \\ith  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers.  The  greater  part  of  one 
winter  he  remained  in  New  Orleans.  On  a  re- 
turn trip  at  one  time  with  Captain  Shallcross, 
of  Louisville,  he  was  stuck  in  the  ice  near  Pa- 
ducah,  Kentucky,  and  the  men  were  reduced 
to  two  crackers  a  day.  On  this  same  trij),  in 
coming  home,  he  walked  from  Evansville  to 
I'erre  Haute  through  snow  eighteen  inches  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


293 


depth  Out  of  tlie  forty  boatmen  who  started 
at  the  same  time,  only  Mr.  (iarrctt  and  a  com- 
I)anion  succeeded  in  J^'oing  through,  tlie  others 
falhng  beliind  and  giving  it  up  before  tliey  had 
gone  far. 

In  1840,  on  tiie  day  succeech'ng  the  exciting 
presidential  campaign  of  that  year  in  which  Mr. 
Garratt  voted  for  General  William  Henry  Har- 
rison, he  took  a  steamer  for  New  (Orleans  on 
his  way  to  Texas.  The  steamer  stuck  fast  in 
the  rapids  l)elow  Terre  Haute,  the  pilot  became 
into.xicated,  and  Mr.  Ciarrett,  in  cumjiany  with 
two  other  young  men  bound  for  points  south, 
procured  a  rough  spring  wagon  in  which  they 
iourneyed  from  'Sli.  Carmel  to  Evansville  on 
the  Ohio  river,  when  the  three  took  a  steamer 
and  continued  their  voyage.  One  of  his  com- 
]);mions  left  him  to  go  up  to  the  Cumberland 
and  the  other  up  the  Tennes.see  river.  At 
New  Orle.-uis  he  secured  a  passage  on  a  steam- 
shi])  for  Galveston,  Texas.  When  out  on  the 
Gulf  of  ^lexico  the  vessel  encountered  a  ter- 
rillc  gale,  and  for  seventy-two  hours  the 
ship  and  crew  were  in  danger  of  going  to  the 
bottom.  At  Galveston  a  steamer  was  taken 
for  Houston.  Eut  the  steamer  stuck  fast 
on  the  bar,  and  for  a  day  or  two  the  passengers 
had  time  to  amuse  themseUes  by  fishing  in  the 
shallow  water  for  oysters.  Mr.  Garrett  was 
aiming  to  make  his  way  first  to  ln(Ie]>endence. 
in  \\'asliington,  county.  To  this  ])oint  he  tra\-- 
i'h-i\  on  foot,  with  the  exception  of  thirty  or 
fortv  miles  before  reaching  the  town,  when  he 
b;id  o[)portunily  of  riding.  .\1  Independence 
be  obtained  ;i  nuist;uig  pony,  and  continued  bis 
journey  to  Austin  City,  'i'be  mute  led  tw<i 
liundrefl  miles  through  a  frontier  country  in- 
lial)ited  by  hostile  Indian.?,    At  Austin  City,  on 


bis  arri\-al.  the  Congress  of  the  Republic  of 
Te.xas  was  in  session.  Te.xas  had  then  achieved 
its  indei)endencc  from  Mexico,  and  formed  a 
sep.'irate  republic,  of  which  Lamar  was  presi- 
dent. Sam  Houston  was  one  of  the  ])rominent 
memliers  of  the  Congress.  Mr.  Garrett  re- 
mained se\'eral  weeks  in  that  section  of  the 
country,  and  was  fre(|uently  in  attendance  on 
tlie  sessions  of  the  Congress,  on  one  of  which 
occasions  be  be;u"<l  llouston  deliver  his  speech 
on  sectionizing  and  selling  the  lands  of  the 
Cherokee  Indians.  Mainly  for  the  purpose  of 
seeing  the  country,  he  joined  a  surveying  party, 
and  was  alisent  for  some  time  on  the  exposed 
frontier.  On  his  return  a  company  was  organ- 
ized for  a  I)uli'alo  Innit  and  general  exploring 
e\i)edition,  which  Mr.  Garrett  joined,  still  ani- 
mated by  .a  desire  to  see  something  further  of 
frontier  life  before  he  should  leave  Texas,  'fhe 
partv  consisted  of  nine  men  ;iih1  two  boys,  'fhcy 
were  attacked  b\'  a  p.art)'  of  Indi.ans.  between 
tbirtv  and  fift\-  in  number,  Tbe  horse  of  a 
\oung  man  n.anieil  ( )sl)urn  was  shot  undei"  him. 
tbe  rider  ha\'ing  receix'ed  a  spear  wound  in  tbe 
back,  Tbe  unfortunate  man,  after  being 
knocked  insensible  with  his  own  g\ni  by  tbe  In- 
diant^,  was  scal])ed  within  sight  of  the  remain- 
der of  tbe  party,  and  left  for  dead  on  the  field, 
lie  was  afterward  rescued.  ;mil  fiii.ally  recov- 
ered from  bis  womnl.  'flu-  whole  ]);\rty  effect- 
ed their  escape  to  ;i  block  house, 

.Mr.  (  l.arrell's  \isit  to  'I'exas  b;id  for  its  end 
;ni  obiect  different  from  an_\-  yet  described  in  a 
rei'ord  of  the^e  incidents.  (  )n  tlie  Jotli  of  I  )e- 
ci'niber.  1X40,  he  bad  bei'ii  in;u'ried  to  Irene 
I'ncketl,  a  n.ative  of  \'igo  eoiiiUy,  liidi,iii;i,  but 
who  at  that  time  resided  on  the  (oloi-.ailo  ri\er, 
twelve  miles  below  .\ustin  City,     lie  h.-ul  pre- 


294 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


viously  been  ac(|uaintecl  witli  her  in  Indiana. 
In  February,  1841.  lie.  with  his  wife,  set  out  on 
his  return  home.  In  conii)aiiy  witli  three  or 
four  otliers  they  journeyeil  liy  an  ox  team  to 
Houston,  wliere  they  took  a  steamer,  and  ran. 
down  the  Buffalo  Bayou,  and  thence  across  the 
bay  where  the  vessel  struck  an  old  ship  anchor, 
tore  off  part  of  the  planking,  and  was  in  danger 
of  sinking.  Remaining  some  days  in  Galves- 
ton, they  took  passage  on  the  steamer  New 
York  for  New  Orleans.  From  here  they  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio  to  Evans- 
ville,  Indiana,  and  there  took  stage  for  Terre 
Haute,  at  which  place  they  arri\-ed  on  the  5th 
of  March,  1841. 

Mr.  Garrett  now  engaged  in  farming  and 
stock  raising,  at  first  renting  a  farm  five  miles 
south  of  Terre  Haute.  He  was  soon  called  up- 
on, however,  to  discharge  other  duties.  In  -Aug- 
ust, 1842,  he  was  chosen  to  represent  the  coun- 
ty of  Vigo  in  the  Indiana  Legislature.  He  took 
his  .seat  in  December,  T842,  and  served  the  fol- 
lowing winter.  The  ne.xt  year  he  was  re-elect- 
ed, and  served  another  session,  performing  his 
duties  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction 
to  his  constituents.  He  was  only  twenty-six  at 
the  time  of  his  first  election.  Like  his  father  be- 
fore him,  Mr.  Garrett  was  a  Whig,  and  it  was 
as  a  candidate  of  the  \\'hig  jiarty  that  he  was 
elected  to  the  Indiana  Legislature.  .\.t  the  con- 
clusion of  his  second  term  of  office  he  declined 
a  re-election,  and  devoted  himself  more  assid- 
uously than  ever  to  farming  and  stock  raising. 
He  bought  a  small  farm  six  miles  south  of  Ter- 
re Haute,  but  sold  it  after  making  imi)rovp- 
ments  u])on  it.  He  continued  to  reside  in  In- 
diana till  1849.  His  business  operations  were 
attended  with  success.     He  desired  to  invest  his 


surplus  funds  in  new  land,  and  in  consequence 
resolved  to  settle  in  Illinois. 

He  had  visited  Illinois  in  company  with 
three  others  in  the  fall  of  1833.  He  traversed 
the  state  from  Edgar  county  to  the  Mississip])i, 
passing  through  Sadorus  Grove,  Springfield 
and  Beardstown,  to  Ouincy.  His  course  wa? 
then  up  tlie  river  for  a  considerable  distance, 
when,  leaving  it,  he  journeyed  southeast  to  the 
Illinois,  and  thence  through  Springfield  by  the 
old  Springfield  trace,  across  the  Okaw,  through 
what  is  now  Douglas  county  by  the  Wayne 
stand,  to  Paris  in  Edgar  county,  and  thence  to 
Terre  Haute.  There  were  no  settlements  on 
the  route  tra\-eled  through  ]")ouglas  comity  ex- 
cept at  the  Shaw  stand. 

About  1846  Mr.  Garrett  Ixjught  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  near  William 
Brian's  in  what  is  now  Douglas  county.  The 
next  spring  he  came  out  with  an  ox  team  and 
began  improving  it.  In  1849  ''•^  removed  with 
his  family  to  Douglas  county  for  the  purpose  of 
making  a  permanent  residence.  He  had  pre- 
viouslv  been  accustomed  to  driving  cattle  from 
Iniliana,  and  herding  them  in  Douglas  county. 
He  located  on  section  three,  of  township  fifteen, 
range  seven.  He  devoted  liis  whole  attention 
to  farming  and  stock  raising.  In  1856  he  and 
his  wife  revisited  Texas.  They  were  absent 
about  three  months,  during  which  they  traveled 
extensively  o\er  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
state.  His  farm  of  eight  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  on  which  he  lived  till  recently,  was  sold 
in  Mav,  1875.  He  now  resides  in  Tuscola, 
l-'or  two  or  three  years  following  1868  he  was 
in  the  grocer\-  business  at  Tuscola  in  ii.artner- 
sliii)  with  .\lr.  John  M.  Maris. 

;\Ir.  (iarrett  served  on  the  first  grand  jury 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


295 


that  ever  convened  in  Douglas  county.  In  1854 
he  was  elected  justice  of  the  ])eace  and  held  that 
office  until  his  resi^'nation.  ( )n  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  cnunty  intu  townships.  Mr.  Gar- 
rett was  chosen  a  nieniher  of  the  hoard  of  super- 
\'isors  from  Cjarrett  township.  His  public 
trusts  he  has  discliru'ged  with  fidelity,  and  few 
citizens  of  the  county  have  gained  a  larger 
share  of  the  popular  esteem. 


WILLIAM  H.  FULTON. 

William  11.  h'ulton  located  in  the  village 
of  Caiuargo  in  1852.  hegan  merchandising  in 
a  small  wa} ,  and  is  now  the  oldest  merchant 
in  active  business  in  the  county.  He  was  born 
at  Clinton.  Indiana.  August  17,  1827,  and  is 
one  of  the  well-known  and  respectable  citizens 
of  the  \illasfe. 


AMI'S  (;il.l,()(ilA" 


James  ( lillogly.  (h"y  goods  and  general  mer- 
chant at  Newman,  is  a  nati\'e  of  l'en)is\'l\ania. 
where  he  was  reared  on  a  fai^n  and  accjuired  a 
common  school  education.  He  followed  fanu- 
iug  in  l'ennsylvam';i  and  Illinois  until  the  war, 
when  he  enlisteil  in  ('(iinpany  1),  Twenty-first 
ivegiment  Illinois  Inf.antrw  inider  ( leneral 
then  Colonel)  Grant.  He  was  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Stone  River,  Tennessee,  having  ;i 
leg  broken,  and  was  discharged  soon  after. 
1  Ic  then  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Jackson- 
\ille.  Rversoii's  Station  and  Niuevah,  Penn- 
s\l\;mi;i.  thence  coming  to  Illinois  and  locating 
at  Newman,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged 


in  his  present  business.  Mr.  Gillogly  occupies 
a  hue  brick  store  room,  30x70  feet,  centrally 
located  and  well  stocked  with  the  best  goods, 
and  is  doing  a  business  of  twenty-h\'e  thou- 
sand to  thirty  thousand  dollars  yearly.  He  was 
luarried  to  Miss  11.  L.  .\tkinson,  and  six  chil- 
dren have  blessed  their  union:  J.  C,  H.  P)., 
I'juma  J..  Li>tta.  lienton  (  deceased),  and  Lewis 
(deceased).  Mr.  and  .Mrs.  (iillogly  are  mem- 
bers of  the  I'lmiberland  l^'esbyterian  church, 
,uid  he  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and 
the  i.  O.  O.  F. 


A.  TAYLOR. 


A.  Taylor,  real  estate  dealer  at  Newman 
and  a  man  unixersally  popular  and  esteemed 
bv  e\erybo(ly  around  Newiuan,  was  born  in 
Ti])pecanoe  countv.  Indiana,  .\pril  8,  1836, 
where  he  was  I'cared  and  educated.  He  has 
been  a  resident  in  .Xewnian  snice  187')  and  has 
negotiated  manv  important  real  estate  deals 
in  Douglas  an<l  adjoining  counties.  In  1856 
he  wedded  Miss  .Mice  Beezley.  <if  Indiana. 
I  hey  h;ui  three  cliildren  :  ,\.  A. :  Charley,  who 
is  the  present  census  enumerator  of  .\ewman 
township,  and  I'elle.  They  are  highly  re- 
s])ected  and  counted  among  Newman's  best 
])eo])le. 


WILLI. \M   If.  HALL. 

Willi;mi  I!.  Hall,  one  of  the  oldest  mer- 
chants in  the  tonntv,  was  born  in  P.ourbon 
comity,    Kentucky,    September     1.     1831,    and 


296 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  HISTORICAL. 


was  the  only  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth  Mrs.  Hall.     In  1865  Mr.  Hall  engaged  in  the 

(Hooe)    Hall,  natives  of  Kentucky  and  Vir-  harness  business  and  later  engaged  in  general 

ovinia  respectfully.     In   1837  the  family  came  merchandising.     He  is   still   engaged    in    the 

and   settled   in   the  neighborhood    of    Brushy  same  business  and  is  a  thorough  gentleman  of 

Fork  and  for  two  years  lived  in  the  family  of  tlie  old  school,  whose  religion  consists  in  doing 

General  Robert  Matson,  who  was  a  cousin  of  good  to  hinj.self  and  his  friends  and  neighbors. 


I 


.<^ 


'i\- 


'ill  %^itJ*/  M/ 


^«^- 


INOK 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  I.— Early  Settle- 
ment OF   THE    COUiNTV 7 

Cabin,  The 1» 

Farm,  The 1!» 

Indian,  The .  '1 

Inhabitants.  Original 7 

Life  un  the  Prairie H 

Markets '^U 

Mills -'<j 

Mound  Builders 7 

Natural  Resources If' 

Pioneers,  The P^ 

Prairie  Travel -1 


CHAPTER     II.         Historic. 

Sketch  of  Coi'ntv 

.\priculture  

Assessor,  First 

Circuit  Clerk,  First   

Circuit  Court,  First 

County  Clerk.  First 

County  Judge,  Fii'st 

County  .Seat 

Court,  First  meeting  of  Coimty. 

Court  Hou.se,  The 

Cieology 


40 
:!2 
;n 
■Si 
M 

;ii 
:i2 

:v2 

■.ii< 


VACE 

Officials,  County,    from  organiza- 
tion to  date. .  .' 'M 

Organization,  Act  of 27 

Organization,  Sii[i])Ienientary  Bill  ;iO 

Origin 26 

Railroad.    Danville,     Tuscola    \- 

Western 44 

Railroad   Indebtedness  Assumed..  44 

Railroad,  IllinoisCentral 42 

Railroad,  Indianapolis,  Decatur  &: 

Western 4.'{ 

Railroad,  Toledo  &  St.  Louis 44 

Railway,  Illinois  Midland 44 

Recorder,  P'irst. •'! 

Sheriff,  First •'^1 

Surveyor,  First -^2 

Surveys,  System  of- ■>•') 

Swamp  Lands ■*!' 

Tojxigraphy   '-^^ 

Treasurer,  First   ■'2 

CHAPTER    HI.       Ml  1. 1  t  .\  kv 

Record   47 

Cavalry,  Thirteenth   H4 

Comiia'ny,  P'irst  full    4!l 

Infantry,  Twenty-lirst 4il 

Infantry,  Twenty-fifth •")2 


PAGE 

Infantry.  Fifty-fourth 54 

Infantry,  Seventy-ninth 57 

Infantry, One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
fifth.' 02 

Infantry,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
ninth' ■  •  •  •'•^ 

Public  Sentiment  and  Civil  Action  47 

CHAPTER  I\.— Township  His- 

tohical  Sketches <'>li 

Areola  City 1119 

Areola  Township '"7 

At  wood  X'lllage. l^|i 

Bourbon  Townshi|i 7I{ 

Bowdre  'Township   77 

Camargo  City 72 

Camargo  Townshij) .  61* 

( 'larreti  Township   ^^ 

Hindsboro  Village 71) 

Murdock    Township    '•'! 

Murdock  Village    '■•2 

Newman  City   Hji 

Newman  Township 11-> 

Sargent  'Townshiii 1^!^ 

Tuscola  City 1";' 

Tuscola  'TownshiiJ   i'-i 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 


Armstrong,  Archie  A 

Ashurst,  Joseph 

Atto,  Daniel   

Atwell,  William  !•;   

Avery,  J.I 

B. 

B.iilev.Capt.  David 

liakei",  S.  H    

Barnes,  John  C   

Barr,  James 

Bartholomew,  Michael   1). 
J5assett,  J.  H 


270 
240 

2SI 
27:f 


244 
141 

2S."i 
ISl 

y.K 

2(14 


pa  (11-; 

Bassett,  W.  H 2iV.', 

Beggs,  Jesse  R 2K0 

Bl.uk,  Robert  M 2*; 

Blaine.  Walter  C 2.".il 

Boyce,  Washington  David 2S1I 

lioyd,  W.  P...'. B'T. 

Boyer,  J.  W   27.-! 

Brian.  William,  Sr 2XS 

Brian,  William  1' 2'JO 

Bright,  Coleman    277 

Bn K  k ,  ( ;eorge  W 2:!0 

Brown,  ludge  Joliii 2:i.f 

Burgett.'Carl  S 214 

Burgett,  I.  W 2;i4 

Burgett,  Scott 20y 

Burtnett,  William  H.,  M.  D VSi 


Butler,  J.  'T 

Bush,  William 


PACl'. 

. .  2;  to 

...  17il 


C. 

Cahill,  T:ii  F H2 

Callaway,  C.i-orgr 204 

Calvin,  Edwaril  W 22S 

Cam|)bell,  Allan 227 

Carnahan,  t'larence   11 217 

Chadwick   John  11    147 

Chandler,  Lemuel l-">7 

Chandler,  William  B 2S7 

Conover,  Daniel  A 221 

Cooper,  David 12H 

Covert,  1.  N 215 


298 


INDEX. 


PACE 

Coykendall,  D.  F Ifi5 

Craddick,  Thomas 251 

Cruzan,   Tliomas 291 

Culbertscm,  Chark-s  M 220 

D. 

never,  Frank  C 177 

I  )rake.  Israel  A 147 

Drew,  James 204 

E. 

F.phiin,  Jacob 263 

Eplilin,  Mrs.  Jacob 263 

Krvin,  Samuel 259 

F. 

t'ldler,  Albert  F 246 

Fidler,  Levi 246 

Finney,  E.  C '.   1(54 

Finney,  Joseph  H 175 

Fisher,  U'illiam  H 274 

Foster,  R.  S 132 

Fry.  William   H '.   134 

Fulton,  William  H 295 

G. 

Garrett,  Caleb 200 

Garrett,  Caleb   291 

Gere,  Benjamin  W 190 

Gill,   Harrison 2.58 

Gill,  Shiloah 257 

Gillogly,  James 295 

Glassco,   Kimball 283 

Goff,  John  L 251 

Goodspeed,  James  M 1 70 

Greenman,  Anson   H 137 

Greve,  CD 237 

H. 

Hall,  William  H 295 

Hammett,  Frank  W 252 

Hanimett,  James  R I.53 

Hammett,  James  K 284 

Hanmiett,  Richard  Clyde Ili8 

Hammett,  William  S 276 

Hance,  Ale.\ander   239 

Hancock,  James  W 159 

Hancock,  W.  H 252 

Hapke,  Adolph 182 

Hawkins,  Charles  A   282 

Hawkins,  John   ](il 

Hawkins,  J.  M lyg 

Hawkins,  Samuel 17ti 

Hay  ward,  A 210 

Heaton,  James  I* 121 

Heaton,  William 197 

Henson,  ( icorge  W    251 

Henson,  Stephen  S 277 

Hockett,  Oliver  O 224 

Hopkins,  Samuel  L 267 

Hostetler,  John  C   250 


PAGE 

Howard,  \V.  Avery 277 

Howe,  lames  H 286 

Howe,  William, 202 

Hunt,  Oliver  T 194 

I. 

lies,  William   148 

Irwin,  John  T 125 

J. 

Jeffers,  Enmior  W 248 

Jeffers,  Cieorge  C 272 

Jenne,  Charles  F 186 

Jones,  Henry  C 256 

Jones,  James 133 

Jones,  John  J 262 

Jones,  Maiden 225 

Jones,  Owen  E 242 

Jordan,  John  V   173 

K. 

Kincaid,  James  A 1,35 

King,  John  W 288 

L. 

Lester,  Segler  H 268 

Lindsey,  John 127 

Logan,  Samuel  B 271 

Long,  Stroder  M 198 

Loose,  Frank  E 122 

Lowry,  John 1.S9 

Lyrla,  N.  C 174 

M. 

McCarty,  Francis  A 231 

McGee,  J.  Park,  M.  D t.  .  .  .  185 

McGown,  J.  A 241 

McKaig,  Robert 290 

McKinney,  John  W 266 

McMasters, Charles  L 126 

McNeer,  V   C 218 

McNeill,  Alexander 282 

Madison,  John  M 242 

Magner,  D.  \ 143 

Martin,  Rev.  J.  V 274 

Martin,  W.  S.,  M.  D 138 

Means,  Rev.  William  E 123 

Milligan,  Robert  E 191 

Monahan,  P.  H 259 

Monroe,  N.  S 278 

Moore,  Abrani  H    184 

Moore,  Edw.  McC 184 

Moore,  George  0 269 

Moore,  Jacob 279 

Moore,  Jacob  R 229 

Moore,  Morris  1 185 

Moore,  William '1' 189 

Morrow,  James 151 

Moser.  George  H 241 

Mulliken,  Ira  M 2.53 


pa(;e 

Mulliken,  James  W 2.'J3 

Murdock,  |udge  John  D 146 

Murphy,  Wiliam   F 152 

Myers,  O.  V   158 

N. 

Newport,  William  H 235 

Niles,  Henry  C 174 

O. 

Outcelt,  John  N.. 283 

P. 

Parke,  Alvy  J 279 

Parker,  Lines  L 169 

Parker,  Oliver  H 291 

Pepper,  W.  W 223 

Petty,  Jo  eph  B 270 

Phillips.  J.  W 225 

Price,  W.  E 269 

Pulliam,  W.  T.,  M.  D 264 

Q- 

Qumn,  John   209 

R. 

Reat,  James  L 260 

Records,  Jasper  S 168 

Redden,  Stephen 124 

Reed,  Daniel  W 191 

Reed,  W.  D 287 

Reed,  Winheld  S 1.56 

Reeder,  James  S 276 

Reeder,  James  S 286 

Reeder,  John  A.,  Jr 191 

Reeves,  William  W 272 

Rice,  Eugene 206 

Rice,  Martin 162 

Rice,  William  Edgar,  M.  D 140 

Richards,  G.  R 276 

Richards,  T.  M 275 

Richman,  James  A 192 

Rigney,  J.  B.,  M.  D 286 

Roberts,  I'homas  \V 289 

Roderick,  Daniel 268 

Rogers,  John  E 139 

Root,  D.0 206 

Root,  Lawrence  E 216 

Rutherford,  Dr.  C 222 

Rutherford,  Thomas  H 187 

S. 

Sanford,  Charles  S 211 

Sawyer,  Albert  .S   214 

Siders,  George  W 178 

Skinner.  Isaac 238 

Skinner,  John 171 

Skinner,  W.  W 265 

Sluss,  A.C 262 

Smiley,  Samuel  W 281 


INDEX. 


299 


PAGK 

Smith,  Mosi'S  S   

155 

Summt^rs,  William  T 

155 

Swigart,  T.  \Y 

22H 

T. 


Tag.uaii,  Cul.  Wuslonl, 

Taylor,  A 

Thompson,  K.  K 


M.-f 
295 
163 


PAGE 

To(l(i.  James  (", 21!) 

Todd,  John  T 212 

\V. 

Wallace,  Albert  \V 254 

Watson,  Marion 2S() 

Watson,  W.  1 250 

Whitakt-r,  Jolm 28') 

White,  (ieorge 233 


l-AGE 

Williams,  James  A   250 

Williamson,  Josi-|ih  S   lilit 

Wilson,  Charles  W  .  .  ,..^.,_,^„_^.-248 

Wise'nian,  William  A 253 

Woodford,  J.  P 1(17 

Woolverton,  Charles  W   12i» 

Wrisjlit,  Jarnes  H    247 

Wyalt.  Thomas  S 284 

Wveth,  Clarence  L Itil 

Wyeth,  Joseph  S     188 

Wyeth,  Leonard  J 149 


